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Sandstorm hits Beijing and northern China for the fourth time in a month

A severe sandstorm has cloaked Beijing and China’s northeastern regions for the fourth time in a month, forcing some residents to stay indoors to protect themselves from dense air pollution.

Images showed the Chinese capital engulfed in a cloud of orange haze on Monday which hung thick in the air into Tuesday, though conditions have begun to ease.

Beijing authorities told children and the elderly to stay indoors, and healthy adults were advised to refrain from outdoor activity. Residents were also reminded to keep their windows shut and wear masks and face shields.

On Monday, the air quality index soared to “severely polluted” levels, according to Beijing Municipal Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center.

Concentrations of PM10 particles exceeded 1,321 micrograms per cubic meter at 9 p.m. on Monday, according to the center – almost 30 times the daily average guideline of 45 micrograms per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization.

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