SEVERE SANDSTORM AFFECTS 15 CHINESE PROVINCES|中國北方15省 今年最強沙塵暴籠罩

A severe sandstorm has swept northern China since May 3, reducing the visibility in Inner Mongolia to less than 2 kilometers. Beijing is also heavily affected. China's National Meteorological Center of CMA issued two blue alerts for sandstorms on May 4. The PM2.5 level went from 500 micrograms per cubic meter in the morning to 80 in the afternoon. The sandstorm has affected Northern China and turned Beijing's sky yellow. Visibility in some area was even less than 100 meters. ==BEIJING RESIDENT== The sandstorm yesterday was massive. It probably turned the sun white. I haven't seen a sandstorm this huge over the past decade. ==BEIJING RESIDENT== The air is much cleaner now. If you did not wear a mask this morning, you would breathe in sands for sure. According to the NMC's forecast, the sandstorm will leave Beijing after May 5, but the strong north wind will blow the pollutants southbound, causing moderate to severe air pollution over the next two days. Patients with respiratory diseases are advised to stay indoors and wear a mask outdoors. Translated By LUKE CHIANG 中國北方十五個省份，三號起遭遇今年以來最強沙塵暴籠罩，內蒙古街頭能見度不及兩千公尺，北京居民形容若是沒有戴口罩出門，一呼吸就是一嘴的土。 中國中央氣象台四號兩度發佈沙塵暴藍色預警，有致病危險的細懸浮微粒PM2.5，早上八點的濃度是每立方公尺五百微克，在強風的吹襲下中午十二點降到八十微克，北方十五個省份都在受影響的範圍之內，北京世貿地區的天空變成土黃色，部份地區能見度不到一公里，河北承德能見度甚至不到一百公尺。 ==北京市民== 昨天的沙塵暴大了點 昨天的沙塵暴讓太陽都變白了嘛 這沙塵暴得有十幾年沒有了吧 這麼大的沙子 ==北京市民== 看著現在空氣是乾淨多了 早上的時候如果不戴口罩 你要一呼吸絕對是一嘴的土 氣象單位指出在強烈北風的影響之下，北京地區估計可以在五號下午脫離沙塵暴的威脅，而這波汙染源也將隨之吹向南方，六號到七號可能遭遇短時間中到重度的空氣汙染，建議有呼吸道疾病患者應該盡量少出門，或是戴上口罩再出門。 王蕙文 報導