Gusty winds whip across eastern China, produce sandstorm in Beijing

An uptick in gusty winds triggered a sandstorm across portions of eastern China Wednesday evening.

Winds in Beijing, China, started picking up around 4 p.m. local time Wednesday, with gusts peaking at 80 km/h (50 mph) around 6 p.m.

The winds picked up sand, causing a sandstorm across the city. Visibility dropped down as low as 4.8 km (3 miles) at the Beijing airport.

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The gusty winds continued to whip across China through the evening and eventually reached the city of Tianjin.

Tianjin’s airport reported wind gusts up to 85 km/h (53 mph) and blowing dust just an hour later. Visibility was even worse, down to 2 km (2 miles).

Reports came in that several fires were burning during the evening near the Langfang Wuqing Air Base in Tianjin. The gusty winds that contributed to the sandstorm may also have helped to expand the fire.

As long as the winds persist, it could be difficult for firefighters to contain and extinguish the fire.

Several other fires spread across the region into Thursday, including a wildfire near Beijing.

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