Monday, Oct 19, 2026

Sandstorm sweeps China

The impact was felt across most of northern China. Measurements of the Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeded the hazardous level for particles associated with airborne sand and dust.

By Agencies

Updated On - 16 March 2021, 06:15 PM

The largest and strongest dust storm in a decade swept across northern China, grounding hundreds of flights, closing schools in some cities and casting a ghastly shroud over tens of millions of people — from Xinjiang in the far west across to the Bohai Sea. The impact was felt across most of northern China. Measurements of the Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeded the hazardous level for particles associated with airborne sand and dust. Let’s read more about sandstorm and its impact…

What is a sandstorm?

A sandstorm refers to a high amount of wind occurring in sandy areas, usually in deserts, where the wind speed is able to lift the top layer of sand from the ground, and push it in every imaginable direction. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface.

Causes of a sandstorm

Sandstorms occur when winds strengthen to the point where they’re able to lift grains of sand off the ground and blow them through the air. They tend to happen most frequently in sandy areas, such as deserts. For example, sandstorms are quite common in the Sahara Desert.

Similar storms can arise in many areas around the world. When the top layer of soil consists primarily of dirt and rock rather than sand, these storms are usually called dust storms. Some people use the terms interchangeably, although one term or the other is usually more correct depending upon what type of particle is being blown about by the wind.

Height of a sandstorm

The sand involved in the sandstorm can reach heights of approximately 10-50 feet. Usually, the height of a sandstorm corresponds to wind strength. Dust particles associated with some sandstorms have been found at 5000 feet (1524 meter), though these are rarer. Sandstorms have wind speeds of at least 40 kilometers per hour, so they can happen really quickly.

Hazards

Sandstorms usually arrive suddenly in the form of an advancing wall of dust and debris which may be miles long and several thousand feet high. They strike with little warning, making driving conditions hazardous.

Blinding, choking dust can quickly reduce visibility, causing accidents that may involve chain collisions, creating massive pileups. Sandstorms usually last only a few minutes, but the actions a motorist takes during the storm may be the most important of his or her life.

China’s preventive measures

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. The country has been trying to reforest and restore the ecology of the region to limit how much sand is blown into the capital.

Beijing has planted a “great green wall” of trees to trap incoming dust, and has also tried to create air corridors that channel the wind and allow sand and other pollutants to pass through more quickly.

Sandstorm