Beijing blasted by strongest sandstorm in 13 years

A woman wearing sunglasses and a scarf passes Tian'anmen Square as the strongest sandstorm in 13 years hits Beijing on April 15, 2015. [Photo/IC]

Strong winds brought Beijing its fiercest sandstorm in 13 years on Wednesday with 11 provinces, municipalities and regions in North China affected.

Parts of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Beijing, Tianjin, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei and Jilin were affected by the dusty weather from Wednesday afternoon until the evening, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

A cold front was forecast to sweep through North China, including in areas along the Yellow and Huaihe rivers, bringing a dramatic drop in temperature of 12 degrees Celsius with strong winds, said the NMC.

China has a four-color coded system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.