BEIJING: Strong winds and blowing sand pushed air pollution higher in China’s capital over the weekend, with city meteorological authorities reporting a sharp rise in PM10, the coarse particulate matter closely associated with dust events. The citywide average PM10 concentration reached 175 micrograms per cubic meter by 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, and forecasters said the peak was expected to exceed 500 micrograms per cubic meter later that day, a level described by local authorities as severe pollution.
The episode coincided with the Spring Festival holiday period, a peak travel and tourism window, and reduced air quality was accompanied by gusty conditions that carried sand and dust into urban areas. Municipal forecasters kept weather alerts in place as conditions developed, with a yellow warning issued for strong winds and a blue warning issued for sandstorms. Officials said the combination of wind and dust was responsible for the deterioration in air quality readings reported by monitoring stations across the city.
Authorities temporarily closed some outdoor scenic spots and suspended certain holiday activities from Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning, Feb. 22, as the wind and sand warnings remained in effect. The restrictions affected outdoor events that draw large crowds during the holiday. China observed a nine-day Spring Festival break this year, and the weekend dust conditions arrived as residents and visitors took part in traditional celebrations and travel plans around the capital.
Weather alerts and closures
The Beijing disruption came as national meteorological authorities warned that a broader belt of northern China would face strong winds and sandstorms from Friday through Sunday. The China Meteorological Administration activated a Level-IV emergency response for major meteorological disasters linked to strong winds and sandstorms, while the National Meteorological Center issued yellow warnings for strong winds and sandstorms and a blue alert for a cold wave. Forecast areas included parts of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai and Shaanxi, along with sections of north China, northeastern regions and the Shandong Peninsula.
Transportation services were also affected beyond the capital. Passenger ferries operating on a provincial route between Liaoning and Shandong were suspended from 12:50 p.m. on Saturday because of strong winds, according to local maritime authorities. Officials said services were expected to resume gradually on Sunday as conditions improved. The suspension came during the holiday return period, when transport networks typically increase capacity to handle higher passenger volumes across northern China.
Regional impacts across northern China
China’s weather warning system uses four color levels, with red the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue, while the emergency response system also has four tiers, with Level I the most severe. The weekend alerts placed Beijing under mid-level wind and lower-level sandstorm warnings, while the national response framework remained active as forecasts covered multiple provinces and municipalities.
Officials used the alerts to guide temporary closures and operational decisions affecting outdoor venues and transport links. City forecasts indicated winds were expected to weaken in Beijing on Monday, Feb. 23, the final day of the nine-day holiday. By Monday afternoon, monitoring data from the municipal environmental monitoring network showed air quality back in the “good” range, with the city’s real-time air quality index at 46 at 2 p.m. Monday – By Content Syndication Services.
