Severe sandstorm in NW China (Almost similar to the one in Australia last year)

video.news.sky.com.../skynews/latest/flash/ACT-BB-SA-SANDSTORM-CHINA-130310.flv

www.chinadaily.com.cn...

A severe sandstorm has swept through northwest China. Visibility has been reduced to zero in some areas. Government officials have warned drivers and farmers of the dangerous conditions.

A severe sandstorm hit Xinjiang's Hotan Prefecture in northwest China on Friday, reducing visibility to zero in some areas, local meteorological observatory said.

The fierce sandstorm swept through the prefecture from west to east in the morning, said a spokesman with Hotan's meteorological observatory.

The sandstorm, though reducing in severity, would continue to plague the area till March 16, leading to a temperature drop of 5 to 8 degrees Celsius, he added.

The sandstorm had affected local traffic and agriculture, according to a statement from the Hotan government.

This sandstorm looks quite similar to the one that struck parts of Australia last year. Perhaps looking at the weather conditions currently prevailing in NW China might explain the cause of this severe sandstorm.