<p>Many areas in northern China were blanketed with floating sand and dust on Thursday, and a sandstorm was expected to sweep through parts of Inner Mongolia.</p>.<p>The sandy, dusty weather and strong winds will last until Sunday, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement, adding the public should take precautionary measures to guard against poor air quality.</p>.<p>It renewed a blue alert for sandstorms — the least severe warning in the country's four-tier weather warning system — and forecast that more than a dozen regions, including major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, would see some areas affected by floating sand and dust on Thursday.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/international/thick-sandstorms-shroud-beijing-several-provinces-in-china-1202470.html" target="_blank">Thick sandstorms shroud Beijing, several provinces in China</a></strong></p>.<p>The center's chief forecaster, Gui Hailin, earlier said the sandy and dusty weather began Sunday in southern Mongolia.</p>.<p>As cold air moved southward, the weather spread to various regions including northern and northeast China, he said.</p>.<p>In Beijing, buildings and traffic were shrouded by low visibility. The IQAir website showed an air quality index of 540 for the capital and labelled its air pollution level as “hazardous.”</p>.<p>The Beijing Municipal Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center issued the highest air pollution warning.</p>.<p>Running enthusiast Tu Jiaxian said the sandstorm had a “huge impact” on her life because it interrupted her marathon training plans.</p>.<p>“I want to run but I dare not run because of the weather. That is very painful,” Tu said, adding she had quit her daily 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) jogs for three days this week due to the weather.</p>.<p>Cao Yuanyuan, a newcomer to Beijing, was surprised at first to see the hazy scenes and took photos of them. But the bad weather forced her to wear glasses as a protective measure and keep the windows in her room shut.</p>.<p>"But there is still sand coming in, and I can smell the earth,” Cao said.</p>
<p>Many areas in northern China were blanketed with floating sand and dust on Thursday, and a sandstorm was expected to sweep through parts of Inner Mongolia.</p>.<p>The sandy, dusty weather and strong winds will last until Sunday, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement, adding the public should take precautionary measures to guard against poor air quality.</p>.<p>It renewed a blue alert for sandstorms — the least severe warning in the country's four-tier weather warning system — and forecast that more than a dozen regions, including major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, would see some areas affected by floating sand and dust on Thursday.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/international/thick-sandstorms-shroud-beijing-several-provinces-in-china-1202470.html" target="_blank">Thick sandstorms shroud Beijing, several provinces in China</a></strong></p>.<p>The center's chief forecaster, Gui Hailin, earlier said the sandy and dusty weather began Sunday in southern Mongolia.</p>.<p>As cold air moved southward, the weather spread to various regions including northern and northeast China, he said.</p>.<p>In Beijing, buildings and traffic were shrouded by low visibility. The IQAir website showed an air quality index of 540 for the capital and labelled its air pollution level as “hazardous.”</p>.<p>The Beijing Municipal Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center issued the highest air pollution warning.</p>.<p>Running enthusiast Tu Jiaxian said the sandstorm had a “huge impact” on her life because it interrupted her marathon training plans.</p>.<p>“I want to run but I dare not run because of the weather. That is very painful,” Tu said, adding she had quit her daily 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) jogs for three days this week due to the weather.</p>.<p>Cao Yuanyuan, a newcomer to Beijing, was surprised at first to see the hazy scenes and took photos of them. But the bad weather forced her to wear glasses as a protective measure and keep the windows in her room shut.</p>.<p>"But there is still sand coming in, and I can smell the earth,” Cao said.</p>