On the fifth day of the Chinese New Year holiday, a sandstorm struck Beijing, plunging parts of the city into dim, dust-filled skies as strong winds swept through the capital and surrounding provinces. Tianjin, Hebei, and several other regions were also affected by dusty conditions.
According to Chinese Communist Party state media outlet CNR, strong winds developed in Beijing on the afternoon of Feb. 21. As the gusts carried sand and dust, visibility dropped significantly, particularly in western urban districts.
In mountainous areas including Yanqing, Fangshan, Mentougou, Changping, and Haidian, local gusts exceeded level 10, with maximum wind speeds reaching level 14. In urban districts, peak wind speeds reached level 9. Visibility in western parts of the city fell to around 2 kilometers.
Beijing Daily reported that, due to the transmission of external sand and dust, PM10 concentrations in Yanqing District reached level 6 — categorized as severe pollution.
Residents described the conditions in vivid terms. “The sky today is all earthy yellow,” one Beijing netizen wrote. Another commented, “In the morning I ate a mouthful of fluff, in the afternoon I ate a mouthful of sand.” Others said the wind was so strong they could barely open their eyes, and that clothes were quickly coated in dust. A traveler who flew shortly after 1 p.m. said the aircraft jolted during ascent and that the sky near Beijing appeared yellowish from above.
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In neighboring Tianjin, a netizen wrote: “Took a walk after dinner and came home covered head to toe in yellow sand.” A resident in Yanjiao, Hebei, said the sky had “turned completely yellow” and that winds were strong. One post on X referenced the traditional custom of welcoming the God of Wealth on the fifth day of the lunar new year, joking that “the God of Wealth didn’t come, but sand did.”
Rare blue sun observed amid dust haze
Beijing Youth Daily reported that dusty weather developed in western Beijing during the afternoon, with skies turning dim yellow and visibility declining. Observers noted that the sun appeared to emit a faint blue light.
The phenomenon was attributed to particulate matter in the air scattering and absorbing longer-wavelength red light, reducing the amount of red light reaching observers and causing the sun to appear blue.
Beijing authorities issued a yellow gale warning and a blue sandstorm warning. As of 17:00, the city’s real-time Air Quality Index reached 500, classified as severe pollution.
Officials said the impact of the sand and dust was expected to gradually subside later that night, with air quality forecast to return to level one, categorized as excellent, during the daytime on Feb. 22.
Four weather warnings issued nationwide
People’s Daily reported that cold wave, gale, sandstorm, and blizzard warnings were issued in succession as weather conditions shifted sharply in the latter half of the holiday period.
Temperatures in many northern areas were expected to drop by more than 10°C, with rapid swings between warm and cold conditions. Strong winds and sand and dust were projected to push southward, potentially reaching the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
Obvious snowfall was forecast for northeastern Inner Mongolia and China’s northeastern region, while widespread rainfall was expected in southern areas.
On Feb. 21, under the influence of the cold wave, temperatures fell across Inner Mongolia, Gansu, and Ningxia. Western Gansu and western Inner Mongolia recorded drops of between 10 and 16°C. Authorities said the cold wave would continue to affect the country in the coming days.
That same day, local gusts in Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, and Shaanxi reached level 9 to 10. Officials described the event as the largest and strongest sand and dust process since the beginning of this year.
By 14:00, the eastern front of the sand and dust had advanced to Zhangjiakou and Shijiazhuang in western Hebei. The southern front extended to Lanzhou and Dingxi in Gansu; Baoji and Xi’an in Shaanxi; and Linfen and Jinzhong in Shanxi. Strong winds were expected to continue from the night of the 21st into the following day.
During the holiday period from the fifth to the seventh day of the first lunar month, northern China was forecast to experience continued strong winds, cooling temperatures, and dusty conditions. Eastern Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang were expected to see relatively heavy snowfall, while parts of Jiangnan and southern China were forecast to receive noticeable rainfall.