Large sandstorm forms on the Mongolian plateau
A large sandstorm formed on the Mongolian plateau on March 21, 2023, bringing visibility at the border of China and Mongolia to less than 500 m (1 640 feet).
Rare winter sandstorm hits Beijing, China
A rare winter sandstorm swept over northern China on Monday, December 12, 2022, causing Beijing to suffer its worst bout of air pollution in nearly two years. This is the latest sand and dust warning signal issued by Beijing since 2015.
Massive sandstorm engulfs parts of Qinghai, plunging towns into darkness, China
A massive sandstorm engulfed parts of northwest China’s Qinghai Province on July 20, 2022, disrupting traffic and plugging towns into darkness.
Beijing engulfed by third major dust storm in five weeks, China
China's capital Beijing has seen its third major dust storm in five weeks on Thursday, April 15, 2021. The storm is expected to continue in the coming days, affecting central and eastern China, according to the Guaizihu Meteorological Station. Beijing's air…
Severe sandstorm sweeps through Dundgobi, Mongolia
A severe sandstorm hit Mongolia's Dundgobi Province on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. The storm packed winds of up to 126 km/h (78 mph), according to the meteorological agency. It swept through areas in Deren, Gurvansaikhan, and Mandalgobi. This type of sandstorm, known…
Massive sandstorm engulfs Baicheng city, China
A massive sandstorm blanketed the city of Baicheng in Jilin Province, Northeast China, on April 3, 2020. The phenomenon is locally known as a "black storm". Waves of dust were swept up by gale-force winds of 63 to 74 km/h (39 to 46 mph). In one footage, a…
Massive sandstorm hits Canary Islands, authorities describe it as the worst in 40 years
A massive sandstorm with winds up to 120 km/h (75 mph) hit the Canary Islands over the weekend and continued into Monday, February 24, 2020. The storm caused severe disruptions and exacerbated wildfires which forced about 2 000 residents to evacuate. The regional…
Large sandstorm hits capital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
A huge sandstorm hit capital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at 12:15 local time on February 19, 2019, dropping down visibility and causing substantial traffic delays. The storm was accompanied by wind speeds reaching 40 km/h (25 mph). It affected temperatures across the city,…
Unusually intense sandstorm sweeps over Egypt
An unusually intense sandstorm swept over Egypt this week and peaked on January 16, 2019, severely reducing visibility and air quality. The conditions started improving on January 17. It's unusual to see such severe sandstorms in January, residents said. The…
‘Unprecedented’ sandstorm hits Thurso, Scotland
A severe storm hit Scotland on January 7, 2019, producing what Thurso locals described as 'unprecedented' sandstorm. According to residents, until a few months ago, the sand never made its way into the town, not even during the worst storms. However, a…