Beijing was hit by floating dust on March 18 as strong winds blew through the city. This was the second floating dust storm in Beijing in a month, and it occurred under the influence of a cold front coming down from Mongolia in the north combined with Friday's rain, loose surface soil, and the gusting winds, said an official with the Beijing Meteorological Station.

According to weather forecast, the wind will subside late Saturday night.

The air quality in Beijing was markedly improved in the first two months this year, with one-third of the days registering relatively good air quality.