BEIJING (Reuters) - A dust storm enveloped a swathe of northern China on Thursday (May 4) dragging down air quality and visibility and prompting warnings for children and old people to stay indoors. At least 48 flights were cancelled, including six international routes in Asia and Russia, according to the Beijing Capital Airport's website. Spring is northern China's dust storm season, when winds whip across the vast Gobi Desert picking up fine sand and dust particles and dumping them along a belt of heavily populated land further south. Official data from the Beijing government showed average readings of small breathable particles known as PM 2.5, a major component of China's air quality index, had risen to 630 micrograms per cubic metre in parts of the city by yesterday morning, though it dropped slightly later in the day. Authorities are advising residents to avoid outdoor activity and for children and elderly people to remain indoors. The dust storm underlines the environmental challenge China faces, added to existing concerns about choking smog from coal powered power plants and factories that also periodically covers much of northern China.
A severe dust storm impacts North China, causing flight cancellations at Beijing Capital International Airport.