The Chinese capital Beijing was shrouded in thick brown dust on Monday morning as a result of heavy winds blowing in from Inner Mongolia and other parts of northwestern China.
The China Meteorological Administration announced a yellow alert on Monday morning, saying that the sandstorms had spread from Inner Mongolia into the provinces of Gansu, Shanxi and Hebei, which surrounds Beijing.
A person cycles down a road during morning rush hour as Beijing, China, is hit by a sandstorm. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters
People go about their day during morning rush hour as Beijing, China, is hit by a sandstorm. Beijing faces regular sandstorms in March and April due to its proximity to the massive Gobi desert as well as deforestation and soil erosion throughout northern China. Photograph:Thomas Peter/Reuters
Visitors stand behind barricades at a peak overlooking the Forbidden City at Jingshan Park, as the city is hit by sandstorm, in Beijing. Beijing’s official air quality index reached a maximum level of 500 on Monday morning, with floating particles known as PM10 rising beyond 8,000 micrograms per cubic metre in some districts, according to the city’s environmental monitoring centre. Photograph: Tingshu Wang/Reuters
A visitor wearing a face mask stands on barricades at a peak overlooking the Forbidden City at Jingshan Park. Beijing and surrounding regions have been suffering from high levels of pollution in recent weeks, with the city shrouded in smog during the national session of parliament which began on March 5. Photograph: Tingshu Wang/Reuters
A woman walks past Drum Tower during morning rush hour as Beijing, China, is hit by a sandstorm. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters
Nurses go about their day during morning rush hour as Beijing, China, is hit by a sandstorm. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters