Huge dust storm envelops China, 341 missing in neighboring Mongolia. Know why it’s alarming

In one of the biggest dust storms in a decade in China, the capital Beijing was blanketed in thick brown dust on Monday from strong winds blowing in from the Gobi Desert and parts of northwest China. .
On Sunday, the neighboring region of Mongolia was also badly affected due to heavy sandstorms, with at least 341 people missing, according to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua. In fact, flights have also been blocked from Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia.
Which areas are on alert?
The Gobi Desert is a vast arid region located in northern China and southern Mongolia. The China Meteorological Administration sounded the yellow alert and said the sandstorms had spread from Inner Mongolia to the provinces of Gansu, Shanxi and Hebei, which surround Beijing, according to Reuters.
The high-intensity dust storm also impacted the capital’s air quality with the official air index reaching a peak level of 500 on Monday morning, with floating particles known as PM10 exceeding 8,000 micrograms per cubic meter in some districts, according to the update from the city’s environmental monitoring center.
Why is this so alarming?
According to the World Health Organization, average daily PM 10 concentrations of no more than 50 micrograms are recommended.
In fact, the reading for PM2.5, the smaller particles that seep into the lungs, was also above 300 micrograms per cubic meter. The number is well above the Chinese standard of 35 micrograms.
Such sandstorms are not unusual in Beijing at this time of year due to its proximity to the massive Gobi Desert and deforestation, including soil erosion in northern China, which aggravated the misfortunes.
However, China has made efforts to restore the region’s ecology to contain dust storm episodes.
Tangshan, China’s biggest steel city and a major source of pollution in Beijing and Hebei, said on Saturday it would punish local businesses for failing to implement emergency anti-smog measures.
Beijing and neighboring areas have faced high levels of pollution in recent weeks, with the city covered in smog during the national session of parliament which began on March 5.