2021 East Asia sandstorm

2021 East Asia sandstorm

Northeastern University Qinhuangdao Branch during the sandstorm.
Formed	March 14, 2021
Dissipated	March 27, 2021
Fatalities	10 dead
Areas affected	Mongolia   China (Ningxia, Qinghai, Gangsu, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Henan, Shandong)   North Korea   South Korea

The 2021 East Asia sandstorm was a meteorological phenomenon that began in the Eastern Gobi desert steppe on March 14, ^[1] and subsequently spread to the entire Mongolian Plateau South, the Loess Plateau, the North China Plain ^[2] and the Korean Peninsula. It was caused by strong northwest winds coming in from Mongolia, as a result of hot and dry conditions. ^{[3] [4]}

Background

Beijing and cities in the Mongolian Plateau ^[5] regularly experience sandstorms in March and April, partially due to their proximity to the Gobi Desert. ^{[6] [7]} The issue has been compounded since the 1950s due to widespread deforestation and soil erosion. ^{[8] [9]} In particular, forests on the border with Mongolia were cut down, which previously provided protection against sand from the Gobi Desert. ^[9] In 1978, China started the Three-North Shelter Forest Program to counteract the effects, in particular by planting new trees on 35 million hectares of land to trap incoming dust. ^[10] Air corridors were also created to allow sand to pass more quickly. The country's Ministry of Ecology and Environment said these measures were reducing the impact and duration of sandstorms. ^{[6] [8]} The average number of sandy days in Beijing has fallen from 26 in the 1950s to 3 in 2010. ^[10]

Immediately prior to the sandstorm, Beijing had been experiencing high levels of pollution, with the city covered in smog, as a result of heavy industry work to recover from the pandemic. ^{[6] [10]}

Impact

Mongolian Plateau

In Mongolia the sandstorm caused 10 deaths. ^[11] In three cities in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia schools were cancelled and the public transport system was temporarily halted. ^[12] Flights out of Hohhot, Inner Mongolia's capital, were grounded. ^[6]

The sandstorm was the strongest experienced in Ningxia in 19 years. ^[13] Outdoor activities in schools had been cancelled, although schools were left open. ^[14]

The sandstorm ended in the east, before appearing again in Wuhai on March 19. ^[15] On March 20, a blue alert for sandstorms was issued in central Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and the North China Plain, but spread further west to Xinjiang as well. ^[16]

Rest of China

Beijing during the sandstorm

The sandstorm was the biggest to hit China in a decade, causing pollution levels in some districts to rise to 160 times the recommended limit. ^{[6] [4]} It affected 12 provinces in China, including the Chinese capital Beijing which the storm hit on March 15. ^[4]

Visibility in Beijing was lowered to less than 1,000 feet (300 m). ^[17] Over 400 flights at the city's main airports – Capital Airport and Daxing Airport – were cancelled, a fifth of all flights and more than the typical number for Asian Dust sandstorms. ^{[1] [18]} Visibility at the Beijing Daxing airport had dropped to 400–800 metres. ^[19] PM2.5 levels in Beijing reached a maximum 680 micrograms per cubic meter, the highest levels seen since May 2017, ^[10] and the PM10 air quality index peaked at a maximum reading of 999. Guidelines from the World Health Organization suggest that PM2.5 levels above 25 μg/m^3 are unsafe. ^[20] PM10 levels reached over 8,100 micrograms per cubic metre in six central districts. ^[4] Schools have been told to cancel outdoor events, and people with respiratory diseases, as well as children and older residents, were advised to stay indoors. ^{[4] [17] [21]}

The city of Tangshan – a major source of industrial pollution – stated it would sanction companies for not carrying out emergency anti-smog measures. ^[8]

China's environment ministry stated the storm would dissipate by 18 March. ^[6]

South Korea

On March 16, the sandstorm reached western South Korea. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted "very bad" PM10 levels – over 151 micrograms per cubic meter – in the Seoul Capital Area and on Jeju Island, as well as the provinces of Chungcheong and Jeolla. The agency also predicted "bad" levels in the provinces of Gangwon and Gyeongsang, though the actual levels ended up being "very bad". ^{[22] [23]}

Alert

The China Meteorological Administration issued a yellow alert for sandstorms, and the meteorological department for Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, together with Jiuquan, Gansu and Yulin, Shaanxi, issued orange alerts, the second highest level. ^{[19] [24] [25]}

References

1. Neuman, Scott (March 15, 2021). "Desert Dust Sweeps Into Beijing, Causing China's Worst Sandstorm In 10 Years". NPR. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
2. 近十年来最强的沙尘天气为何发的是蓝色预警？ 中央气象台首席预报员谈预报痛点
3. "Six dead as China and Mongolia hit by worst sandstorm in a decade". South China Morning Post. March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
4. "Apocalyptic skies as Beijing hit by worst sandstorm in a decade". BBC News. March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
5. 在我区阿拉善盟、巴彦淖尔市、锡林郭勒盟、乌兰察布市等地，每年春天，都会发生沙尘暴灾害。 - Red Cross Society of Inner Mongolia ^{[ permanent dead link ]}
6. "Beijing choked in duststorm stirred by heavy northwest winds". Reuters. March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
7. "Flights canceled during China's worst sandstorm in a decade". AP NEWS. March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
8. Davidson, Helen (March 15, 2021). "Beijing skies turn orange as sandstorm and pollution send readings off the scale". the Guardian. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
9. Baker, Harry (March 15, 2021). "Orange veil of dust chokes Beijing in record-breaking sandstorm". livescience.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
10. "Beijing Sees Orange as Sandstorm Brings Worst Air Since 2017". Bloomberg.com. March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
11. "蒙古国强沙尘暴和暴风雪致死人数升至10人-新华网". Xinhua News Agency. March 15, 2021.
12. "卷土重来！五问近10年最强沙尘天气". 新华网. March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
13. "宁夏遭遇19年以来最强沙尘暴天气-新华网宁夏频道". Archived from the original on April 4, 2021.
14. 近十年来最强沙尘暴来袭！宁夏已启动应急响应，起因和结束时间在这里！
15. 沙尘暴再杀“回马枪” 内蒙古局地黄沙漫漫
16. 沙尘暴蓝色预警继续！全国13省区仍有扬沙和浮尘
17. "China's worst sandstorm in a decade chokes Beijing". NBC News. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
18. "Beijing Choked in Duststorm Stirred by Heavy Northwest Winds". US News. March 14, 2021.
19. "Sandstorm blowing in from Inner Mongolia shrouds Beijing". Xinhua News Agency . Retrieved March 15, 2021.
20. Arvin, Jariel (March 16, 2021). "Worst sandstorm in a decade chokes Beijing". Vox. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
21. Yeung, Jessie (March 15, 2021). "Beijing chokes on yellow dust during biggest sandstorm in almost a decade". CNN. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
22. "Worst sandstorm in 10 years blows into Korea". The Korea Herald . March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
23. Rippin, Tara (March 16, 2021). "South Korea blanketed by massive yellow dust storm blown in from China". Euro Weekly News Spain. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
24. 甘肃省酒泉市发布沙尘暴橙色预警
25. 榆林发布沙尘暴橙色预警 目前已出现明显沙尘天气