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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, May 09, 2003

This Spring Sees No Sandstorm in Beijing

As May 6 marked the beginning of summer, the seventh solar term in the traditional Chinese Calendar, the sandstorm weather that has harassed Beijing for three consecutive years hasn't yet appeared in Beijing. As Guo Hu, the head of Beijing Municipal Observatory said, it was really the divine help that Beijing witnessed no sandstorm this spring.


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As May 6 marked the beginning of summer, the seventh solar term in the traditional Chinese Calendar, the sandstorm weather that has harassed Beijing for three consecutive years hasn't yet appeared in Beijing. As Guo Hu, the head of Beijing Municipal Observatory said, it was really the divine help that Beijing witnessed no sandstorm this spring.

Mr. Guo said, "As weather data show, most areas of sand sources in North China have seen large amount of rainfalls or snowfalls from last winter to this spring; the moistened earth surface disable the sandstorm to come into being and float in the air. Besides, this spring has seen fewer gales in North China, which has also helped lessen the sandstorm.

As indicated by the data of the group on sandstorm subject with Beijing Municipal Weather Bureau, the sandstorm weather averages 5.8 days every year recently; Beijing witnesses the peak of it in March and April. Between 2000 and 2002, Beijing has experienced more than 10 times of sandstorms each year.

From May onwards, Beijing sees more rainfalls and quick growth of green vegetation as Beijing weather experts argues. The hike of vegetation coverage over the earth surface will effectively decrease the outburst of sandstorms. Historically, Beijing has basically seen no sandstorm in May. Beijing will, so to speak, no longer be obsessed by sandstorms this year before the winter comes.

As testified in the research by Yan Weizhong, an expert in Thoracic Department of Beijing Hospital, sandstorms may incur allergic diseases, epidemics, and infectious diseases. In normal conditions, one's nostril, lungs and other organs has a role of filtration; yet a vehement sandstorm will carry more and denser dusts, which may induce the relapse of diseases from among those who ever suffered from allergic diseases of respiratory tract. Even a healthy person will also incur such symptoms as cough and asthma should they expose for a long time in dust, and finally lead to the outbreak of epidemics.



By PD Online Staff Member Liu Wei




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