Northern China hit by worst sandstorms in years

Sandstorms have swept through northern China, drastically compromising the air quality in many cities and provinces. Officials from the Forestry Administration say this round of sandstorms is the most severe to hit the region this spring.

Sand and dirt flying through the air resulted in heavy pollution for Beijing. Heavy windstorms meant people in Harbin woke up to darkness. And in most parts of northeast China's Liaoning province, pedestrians had to wear masks and scarves just to walk around.

On Saturday morning, the region's strongest sandstorms in recent years swept through Xilin Gol prefecture in Inner Mongolia. Blowing at speeds of up to 28 meters per second, visibility was lowered to below 10 meters. After being hit by an earthquake just last week, rescue work in the prefecture had to be postponed until Sunday morning when the sandstorms began dying down.

The Forestry Administration said that this round of sandstorms has struck 11 provinces and municipalities, and affected up to 70 million people. Both agriculture and forestry in Gansu province and north China's plains have been severely hit during this essential wheat seeding period. Weather forecasters have predicted stronger winds and harsher sandstorms in the region for Monday.