Severe sandstorm hits northern China

[Anchor]

Major cities in China are already covered in yellow dust, everything turned into shades of yellow.

The fierce sandstorm made it difficult to see ahead, leading to traffic controls in various areas.

This is a report from KBS correspondent Kim Min-jung in Beijing.

[Report]

A massive sandstorm sweeps through as if to engulf everything.

Vehicles on the highway came to a halt in the sandstorm, where visibility was close to zero.

[Chinese SNS video: "Everything is sand. I can't go forward. (I think the sand is coming into the car.)"]

Strong yellow dust has begun in northern China, particularly in the central and western Inner Mongolia and southern Xinjiang Autonomous Regions.

With winds exceeding 30 meters per second over deserts and plateaus, sandstorms and yellow dust have formed.

Cities under yellow dust warnings have turned hazy and yellow. Brief openings of doors will bring the sandstorm indoors, obscuring visibility.

With visibility dropping below 50 meters, traffic has been controlled in various places, including highways.

People venturing outside are taking precautions against the sandstorm.

[Chinese SNS video: "It’s best to avoid working outdoors as much as possible. When working outside, you must wear a mask."]

Due to the impact of the yellow dust in the northern region, a level 1 yellow dust warning has been issued for the geographically close capital, Beijing.

The air quality index has deteriorated to level 5 out of a total of 6 levels.

This yellow dust, which started yesterday, is forecasted to continue for 2 to 3 days.

It is expected that starting with this event, more yellow dust from China will hit this spring.

The Chinese government is recommending wearing masks and advising drivers to operate their vehicles at low speeds.

This is Kim Min-jung from KBS News in Beijing.