From China Watch (link):
As of late April, northern China had encountered eight severe sandstorms this year alone, worsening the air quality in half the region’s cities, according to China’s National Environmental Monitoring Center. In one recent storm in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, two people died and widespread damage was reported. New storms have been forecast by the weather bureau, according to China News.
This year’s sandstorms are considered more severe than in previous years. Not only are they increasing in frequency and having more serious impacts on air quality, but they are also occurring earlier in the season and affecting a wider area. According to China’s State Environmental Protection Agency, the timing of the first sandstorm moved up by a week in 2006, and the sandstorm-affected area has extended beyond 3 million square kilometers.
