Northwest China hit by sandstorm as Beijing is smothered in smog

BEIJING: A northwest Chinese city was engulfed by a massive sandstorm that sparked rural fires, forced traffic to slow down and prompted residents to cover their faces, according to state media.  vehicles were made to slow down and police in high visibility vests were seen directing traffic. Winds also sparked fires in rural areas when heating kindle was blown onto haystacks. Authorities in the city also put out an advisory warning of dry weather and a risk of fire, telling residents to "take precautions". Such storms regularly occur in the dry season, when winds blow loose, dry soil and sand into urban areas from the Gobi desert, coating cities in a layer of yellow grime. While the northwest faced a sandstorm, Beijing was on Monday shrouded in a thick smog that prompted many to wear protective face masks.