Pay attention to protection! Strong winds and blowing sand are coming and will affect these areas →

This week, two cold air masses will seamlessly connect and affect our country, bringing about a drop in temperature, rain, snow, strong winds, and sandstorms.

The Central Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow sandstorm warning at 06:00 on March 11 :

It is predicted that from 08:00 on March 11 to 08:00 on March 12, there will be blowing sand or dust weather in southern Xinjiang, central and western Inner Mongolia, eastern Gansu, Ningxia, central and northern Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, northern Henan, northern Shandong, western Liaoning, and western Jilin. Among them, some areas in central and western Inner Mongolia will have sandstorms, and some areas in local areas will have strong sandstorms.

The Central Meteorological Observatory continued to issue a yellow gale warning at 06:00 on March 11:

It is predicted that from 08:00 on March 11 to 08:00 on March 12, there will be 5~6 degree wind in parts of the eastern part of Northwest China, Inner Mongolia, central and western Northeast China, northern North China, central and western Tibet, etc. Among them, there will be 7~8 degree wind in parts of central and eastern Inner Mongolia, and the local gusts may reach 10 degree or above; there will be strong wind of level 7 and gusts of level 8 in Bohai Sea and Bohai Strait.

From 08:00 on March 12 to 08:00 on March 13, there will be 5~6 degree wind in eastern Xinjiang, central and eastern Inner Mongolia, central, western and southern Northeast China, northeastern North China, central and western Tibet, etc. Among them, parts of the eastern mountain pass areas of Xinjiang and eastern Inner Mongolia will have 7~8 degree wind, and local gusts may reach 9 degree or above; some areas in the western East China Sea will have 7 degree wind and 8 degree gusts.

Why does sand and dust always arrive with spring?

According to statistics, more than 70% of sandstorms in my country occur in spring (March to May), with April being the most frequent month, followed by March and May.

The formation of sandstorm weather requires three main conditions: persistent and strong winds, dust sources, and instability in the lower atmosphere . The main domestic sources of sandstorms in China are concentrated in desert areas such as southern Xinjiang, the Hexi Corridor in Gansu, and central and western Inner Mongolia. The vegetation recovery in these areas has played a certain role in reducing the amount of dust released from the sand source area and alleviating the harm of sandstorms. The Gobi Desert in southern Mongolia is also an important source of sandstorms affecting China. During this period, Mongolia and northern China had less precipitation, and the temperature warmed up significantly in the early spring, causing the permafrost to melt and the surface sand to become loose. In addition, strong winds occurred frequently in northern China in spring, and the surface conditions of the sand and dust source areas were exposed, which easily led to frequent sandstorms.

How to protect yourself from sandstorms? Can you still go out?

When sandstorms occur, various toxic chemicals and germs contained in the dust will spread everywhere, causing health hazards such as coughing, sputum, bronchitis, pneumonia, foreign body sensation in the eyes, tearing, and allergies. Therefore, it is recommended that the public , especially the elderly and children, try to reduce going out as much as possible . If they really need to go out, they must take good protection.

Comprehensive sources: Xinhuanet, China Meteorological Administration, etc.