A sandstorm on Monday hit some areas in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, covering its capital city Yinchuan with orange sand by noon.

 

The provincial meteorological administration said Yinchuan and the three major cities of Shizuishan, Wuzhong and Zhongwei reported strong winds and serious sandstorms at around midday. The weather is expected to continue into the evening hours.

 

The sandstorm is the first of this spring in the autonomous region, which experiences dozens of sandstorms from February to May every year. Meanwhile, the sandstorms cause the drought region an annual economic loss of over 10 million yuan (US$1.25 million).

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2006)