This undated photo shows women wearing masks to protect against sandstorms near Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Beijing officials worry the combination of a warm winter and the lack of rain and snow will worsen sandstorms in Beijing this spring.   Chinanews, Beijing, February 8 – As warm winter has brought nearly no snow or sleet to Beijing this year, and Shi Hanmin, the director of Beijing Municpal Administration of Environmental Protection, expressed his worry about possible sandstorms in spring in Beijing recently.

 

According to past experiences, a snowless winter usually ends up in spring with many sandstorms. In fact, sandstorms have already attacked northwestern China, the earliest in the past few years. It is very possible for sandstorms to attack Beijing, thus it must do something as a precaution. Sandstorms caused a lot of troubles to Beijing in 2006, considered to be the “dirtiest”year since 2000.

 

“We have worked out a detailed plan to deal with sandstorms and other air pollutions. With the help of media, we will be able to warn the general public timely,” said Shi.