Beijing will issue a warning of the second highest winds as strong winds hit the metropolitan area.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and public parks are closed in Beijing. This is because strong winds driven by cold vortices from nearby Mongolia knocked hundreds of trees and crushed the car into the Chinese capital.
Beijing issued its second-highest Gale Alert on Saturday for the first time in a decade, warning its 22 million residents to avoid essential travel as it could break records from 1951-April.
The city’s two vast international airports, the Beijing capital and the Dachshund, cancelled flights 693 on Saturday afternoon, issued a warning of more violent weather, particularly along the country’s north and coastal areas.
More flights and trains have also been cancelled as some parts of the country recorded the most powerful winds in over 75 years and registered at up to 148km/h (92mph). The winds have caused snowfall in interior Mongolia and hails in southern China.
In Beijing, Universal Studios theme parks were forced to close until at least Sunday, but historic sites such as Beijing’s forbidden city, summer palace and heavenly temples have been closed.
Soccer games and other outdoor events have also been suspended.
Sunday’s half marathon set was also cancelled, featuring humanoid robots competing with humans to showcase China’s technological advances.
Wind controls social media chats, with many people expressing concerns about food delivery workers who endure the conditions.
“In weather like this, you can choose not to order delivery. It’s too difficult for them,” a Weibo user wrote.
The sandstorm has been furious with its spread from Inner Mongolia to the Yangtze River region, and road travel in eight other provinces has also been crippled, Xinhua and the provincial broadcaster CCTV said.
The sandstorm was expected to affect Shanghai from Saturday afternoon until Sunday morning.
Strong winds and sandstorms occur in the arid north of China. There, the deserts of Gobi and Takramakan are surrounded by grasslands, mountains and forests.
China has fought decades of battle to mitigate the effects of Beijing’s sandstorms, particularly on the edge of arid regions. Such a storm can reduce visibility to virtually zero, send sand to buildings and clothing, causing serious discomfort in the eyes, nose and ears.
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