air pollution in china, beijing sandstorm, beijing smog, desertification, gobi desert

Skies Darken as China’s Worst Sandstorm in a Decade Chokes Beijing

China’s capital city woke up to dust-choked skies on March 15 as it experienced what its weather bureau has called the worst sandstorm in a decade. The thick dust shrouded Beijing’s iconic landmarks, including the Forbidden City, and downtown skyscrapers at times disappeared from view, enveloped by clouds of sand from the intense sandstorm. Traffic ...