Environment

Sandstorms

Windstorms raging across the Gobi Desert, which borders China and Mongolia, sent out an unhealthful cloud of yellow dust that brought misery and disruption to life in parts of China, South Korea and Japan. The seasonal haze worsens air pollution and puts people at greater risk of respiratory disease due to the tiny dust particles that are small enough to become lodged deep in lung tissues. Chinese meteorologists say the Gobi sandstorms have occurred more frequently since the 1960s due to increasingly hotter temperatures and lower precipitation in the desert region.