Beijing’s worst sandstorm in a decade set to dump on Taipei
As Beijing splutters back to normal after the worst sandstorm in a decade, the gigantic dust cloud is sweeping south across the country and threatening an invasion across the Taiwan Strait.
The storm that just days ago appeared to swallow up the streets of Beijing is expected to make landfall in Taipei, having rampaged across the 1,721 kilometers (1,069 miles) separating the two capitals in under six days, according to the latest observations and simulation data. It will affect the air quality in Taiwan starting on the evening of March 21, Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration forecast.
The sand and dust, which originated from the northwestern Gansu province and Inner Mongolia, will be strengthened by the northeast monsoon and continental cold air masses to move south toward Taiwan, the administration said.
Compounded by a lack of air currents from the island’s western region, pollutants would accumulate easily, engulfing the area, it added.
The administration has also warned power plants that run on oil or coal to reduce emissions and local governments to pay attention to changes in air quality.
The severe sandstorm that battered Beijing was due to recent higher-than-usual temperatures, little rainfall and heavy winds in northern China and neighboring Mongolia.
Because of its proximity to the Gobi Desert, Asia’s second-largest desert, the capital faces sandstorms regularly in March and April every year.
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