From Xinhuanet (link)
The sandstorms, which have swept across northern China, have affected the air quality in nearly 50 percent of the country’s major cities, affecting roughly 100 million people, China’s environmental watchdog announced on Friday.
The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) said that as of April 19, 55 of the 113 cities monitored in China had seen fewer clean days from a year earlier, and 10 cities in northern China including Beijing and Yinchuan have reported a decrease of over 10 blue sky days.
Sandy weather came earlier and more frequently in China this year, SEPA said, adding that sand blanketed 14 provinces, regions and municipalities in China, such as Beijing and Tianjin, covering a total area of nearly 4 million square kilometers and quadrupling the area a year earlier.
