Sandstorm Sweeps Inner Mongolia

For the eighth time this spring, a sandstorm has swept the central and western part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The sky in Hohhot, the capital of the region in north China, was covered with floating sand around 14:30 (Beijing Time) April 24, and muddy rain lasted for nearly thirty minutes. Wind speeds in some areas reached as high as 22 meters per second, with visibility below 600 meters.

Liu Jingtao, chief engineer with the local meteorological bureau, said that floating sand and sandstorms will very likely hit the area again Monday through Tuesday, and local residents have already been warned.

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