Major sandstorm sweeps through northwest China
A major sandstorm has swept through parts of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on May 1, 2016, and continued into May 2, disrupting traffic and causing severe air pollution.
The sandstorm has struck some counties in south Xinjiang since Saturday night, April 30. In Kuche County, the storm reduced the visibility to less than 200 meters (650 feet) in urban areas, made vehicles parked in the open air covered with dirt and caused inconvenience for residents' travel, CCTV reports.
The event also led to the cancellation of many flights from Kuche to Urumchi, the regional capital of Xinjiang.
In Korla and Makid counties, it significantly slowed down traffic and caused residents to suffer breathing difficulties. Local traffic police have reinforced their troops to direct traffic at major road sections.
Another sandstorm, coupled with winds of up to 70 km/h (43.5 mph), has also hit Golmud County in Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province.
Video courtesy CCTV
Satellite imagery below, courtesy of Suomi NPP, shows the extent of the sandstorm on May 1 and 2. The first image is taken on April 30, before the sandstorm.
Image credit: NASA/NOAA/DoD Suomi NPP / VIIRS. Date acquired: April 30, 2016
Image credit: NASA/NOAA/DoD Suomi NPP / VIIRS. Date acquired: May 1, 2016
Image credit: NASA/NOAA/DoD Suomi NPP / VIIRS. Date acquired: May 2, 2016
Featured image: Sandstorm hits northwest China on May 1, 2016. Credit: CCTV
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.