The State Forestry Administration says this round of dusty weather and sandstorms has struck 11 provinces and municipalities in northern China, and affected up to 70 million people.

"Dusty weather usually clouds over north China every March and April. This spring the air flow is quite active in the region, so in April, significant dusty weather is expected to blow in again," says Tu.

Tu Zhifang predicts that this year's air current patterns will bring more dust storms to northern China than last year. But with the increasing coverage of plants in the region, the dust storms will generally not be as strong and harsh as those of the past, he says.

The recent round of dusty weather was caused by a strong cold front in Western Siberia. The cold current passed over a large area of desert, and when the high winds ripped through the deserts they picked up sand and dust.

The worst hit area is in Xilingol Prefecture of northern Inner Mongolia, the same area that was struck by an earthquake last Wednesday. Three people are missing and more than 5,000 livestock are lost or dead in the sandstorms.

Local reporter Zheng Ying declares she has never seen such a strong sandstorm before. When the wind rose, she says, the sky turned from blue to red and then to black in the afternoon. Visibility fell to less than 10 meters in what the locals call a "black sandstorm."

The storm lasted for 16 hours and was the region's strongest in recent years, reports Zheng.

In Beijing, sand and dirt flew through the air over the weekend, resulting in heavy pollution for the capital. Many people wore masks or scarves to walk around outdoors.

(CRI March 30, 2004)