PureInsight | May 9, 2005
[PureInsight.org] On April 18, 2005, a widespread, massive sandstorm attacked northern China. In the impacted areas in Gansu Province, visibility was reduced to zero as the air was filled with dark sand. Meanwhile, the first thunder of this spring finally appeared in Beijing's sky. Many waves of lightning bolts lit up Beijing's night sky, followed by earth-shattering thunder, but no rain.
According to many Chinese news reports, while Beijing's visibility remained at above one kilometer, the visibility in Inner Mongolia's Guaizi Lake and Zhongquanzi was reduced to only 700 meters due to the sandstorm. Another sandstorm attacked Gansu Province's Minqin Couty of Wuwei City and Jinchang City and reduced the visibility to only 60 meters. A water reservoir in Minqin County was attacked by a more severe "dark sandstorm," which reduced visibility to zero. In broad daylight on April 18, the local residents at the water reservoir in Minqin County could not even see their own fingers during the dark sandstorm.
According to meteorologists, the sandstorm would spread to eastern China on April 19, impacting northern Hebei Province, northern Shanxi Province, and western regions of Liaoning Province, Jilin Province and Heilongjiang Province. China' National Meteorology Center issued an orange sandstorm warning on April 18. The warning said that very sandy weather would impact eastern regions of northwest China, northern regions of Huabei, and western regions of northeastern China between noon on April 18 and noon on April 19. Among all the impacted areas, mid-western Inner Mongolia, mid-western Gansu Province and northern Ningxia Province would be attacked by sandstorms. Very dusty or sandy weather would attack Beijing and Tianjin.
According to China's satellite watch and meteorology information, from April 20 to 30, there would be a lot of cold air activity in northern China, causing very windy and sandy weather throughout the country and at least two sandstorms.
China has already suffered from very sandy weather seven times so far this spring:
1) On February 21, sandy weather prevailed over western Inner Mongolia and western Gansu Province for the first time this year. Some impacted areas of Inner Mongolia and Gansu Province were even attacked by sandstorms.
2) From March 9 to 11, very sandy, windy weather prevailed over northern Gansu Province, some areas in Henan Province, Shanxi Province and some areas in Liaoning Province.
3) From April 5 to 7, very sandy, windy weather prevailed over Xilinguolemeng of Inner Mongolia, southwestern Jilin Province, northeastern Liaoning Province, central Shanxi Province, northwestern Shandong Province and northwestern Henan Province.
4) From April 6 to 9, very sandy, windy weather prevailed over Nanjiang Basin, northwestern Qinghai Province, western Inner Mongolia, western and central Gansu Province and some areas in Ningxia Province. Among the impacted areas, Minfeng, Ruoqiang and Tieganlike of Xinjiang Province, Dunhuang of Gansu Province, Lenghu of Qinghai Province and Yanchi of Ningxia Province were attacked by sandstorms.
5) From April 13 to 14, very sandy, windy weather prevailed over eastern Inner Mongolai, western Jilin Province and northern Liaoning Province. Tongyu in Liaoning Province was even attacked by a sandstorm.
6) On April 16, very sandy, windy weather prevailed over northwestern Inner Mongolai and Yanchi of Ningxia Province.
This is the seventh time China was attacked by sandstorms this spring.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2005/4/19/31991.html
