Sandstorm Affects Nearly Half of China, Rare 'Blue Sun' Observed in Beijing

On February 21, 2026, the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, a sandstorm struck western Inner Mongolia. (Video screenshot)

[People News] On February 21, the Central Meteorological Observatory in Beijing issued several warnings: a yellow wind warning, a yellow sandstorm warning, a blue snowstorm warning, and a blue cold wave warning. Many northern regions experienced sandstorms, with sand even moving southward to the Yangtze River area, affecting nearly half of China. Beijing recorded severe pollution levels and experienced the unusual phenomenon of a 'blue sun'.

Sandstorm Covers Nearly Half of China, Moves South to the Yangtze River Region

According to the Epoch Times, at 6 a.m. on February 21, the Central Meteorological Observatory in Beijing continued to issue a yellow sandstorm warning. Official reports indicated that due to the influence of cold air and strong winds, from 8 a.m. on the 21st to 8 a.m. on the 22nd, areas including eastern and southern Xinjiang, central and western Inner Mongolia, northeastern Qinghai, central and western Gansu, Ningxia, most of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, northern Hubei, northern Anhui, and northern Jiangsu are expected to experience dust-raising or floating dust conditions.

In particular, some regions in western Inner Mongolia, western Gansu, northern Ningxia, and northern Shaanxi are forecast to experience sandstorms, with localised areas experiencing strong sandstorms.

Today, PM10 concentrations in Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, and northern Shaanxi have risen significantly. Official sources noted that the sand will shift east and south with the northwesterly winds, impacting Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Henan, Shandong, and other areas. Tomorrow, the southern boundary of the sand may extend to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Today, the Central Meteorological Administration has continued to issue yellow warnings for strong winds, yellow warnings for sandstorms, blue warnings for heavy snow, and blue warnings for cold waves.

A 'blue sun' has been spotted in the sky over Beijing (Internet image)

The topic of 'Beijing Sandstorm' has gone viral on social media, marking a rare occurrence of a blue sun.

This afternoon, strong winds accompanied by sandstorms were reported in Beijing, leading to a significant drop in visibility.

The entire city of Beijing is currently under yellow warnings for strong winds and blue warnings for sandstorms, as the area experiencing strong winds continues to move eastward, affecting most parts of the city.

The topic of 'Beijing Sandstorm' has trended on social media. In the afternoon, numerous videos shared by netizens depicted a grey sky over Beijing, with strong winds stirring up sand.

According to a report from China Weather at 14:39 on the 21st, sandstorm conditions emerged in western Beijing this afternoon, with the sky turning yellow and visibility decreasing, while the sun emitted a faint blue glow.

Furthermore, as reported by Beijing Daily Online, visibility in Beijing decreased on Saturday afternoon, with the sky appearing yellow and the sun giving off a faint blue hue, and visibility in the western region dropping to between two and four kilometres.

Severe pollution reported in multiple areas

According to official sources, from the daytime of February 20 to the daytime of February 21, PM10 concentrations in several regions of northwest China reached levels classified as moderate to severe pollution, ranging from 5 to 6.

In the northwestern part of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, PM10 concentrations have risen sharply, with Zhangjiakou City in Hebei Province recording a PM10 concentration of 2031 micrograms per cubic meter at 14:00 on the 21st, indicating severe pollution at level 6; in Yanqing District of Beijing, the PM10 concentration reached 594 micrograms per cubic meter, also indicating severe pollution at level 6.

On the afternoon of the 21st, the official WeChat account of the Beijing Ecological Environment Monitoring Centre reported that from the afternoon to the night of February 21, PM10 concentration levels in Beijing are expected to rise significantly, with peak concentrations potentially exceeding 500 micrograms per cubic meter, indicating severe pollution levels.

Netizens from mainland China commented, "What a terrifying capital city!" "This sandstorm in Beijing is too frightening!" "I don't dare to go out!" "Eating dirt on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year!" △