Blanketed with dust. Many cities in northern China, including the capital, were hit by a sandstorm on Wednesday. Pedestrians were forced to protect their mouths and noses with masks.

"I can even smell the sand and dust in the air, really uncomfortable with the weather."

"I cannot survive without a scarf, I feel like there's sand in the air."

According to data from the Beijing municipal environmental monitoring center, the average level of PM10 particles topped 1,988 micrograms per cubic meter, while that of smaller PM2.5 reached 193 micrograms per cubic meter. The air quality index in many cities exceeded 500, a severe level of pollution. And such extreme weather is expected to continue until Thursday.

The government suggests that children and senior citizens stay indoors. It's advising people to avoid outdoor activities as much as possible. The cause of the sandstorm is believed to be desertification in China's northwestern regions. And the Chinese government has spent years trying to restore desert areas, planting trees to create what's been called a Great Green Wall. But perhaps to completely fix the problem, there's still a long way to go. ZHENG CHUNYING, CGTN.