China: a huge sandstorm swallows a city

 Eva Deschamps / April 25, 2021

A huge apocalyptic sand cloud that devours houses, buildings and factories: this impressive weather phenomenon was observed in China in the province of Gansu (northwest), causing pollution and road accidents.

These sandstorms are common in the northern part of the country in spring. The impressive yellow cloud seen this Sunday in Linze County was captured from the sky, giving the measure of the event.

National television CCTV reported several accidents due to poor visibility. Meteorologists called on residents to stay home with their windows closed, as more similar phenomena are expected on Tuesday.

The sandstorms that occur in the country often originate from the Gobi Desert, a huge sandy area spread between China and Mongolia.

In March, one of them hit Beijing, the strongest in a decade to hit the capital. The sky turned yellow, air pollution soared and airlines were forced to cancel hundreds of flights.

To stop these storms, the authorities have been reforesting the peripheral areas of the deserts for several decades, in order to create a Great Green Wall to block the sand.