Sandstorms hit Inner Mongolia, weather authorities issue yellow warning

Widespread sandstorms engulfed large swathes of Inner Mongolia on Monday, drastically reducing visibility to under 1,000 meters in some areas and prompting emergency measures at a China-Mongolia border crossing.

On the same day, the Meteorological observatory of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region issued a blue wind warning and a yellow  warning for sandstorm.

The dust storms, driven by strong winds, swept eastward across the region, with the western and north-central zones—including the strategic Ganqimaodu Port in Bayannur City—bearing the brunt.

Local authorities reported near-zero visibility at the border checkpoint by around 16:00, disrupting cross-border traffic. 

In response, the Ganqimaodu Exit-Entry Border Inspection Station activated an emergency protocol to maintain operations. Patrols were intensified across the port’s restricted zones, while additional officers were deployed to critical posts to guide trucks and personnel safely through the low visibility.

Authorities collaborated with customs and quarantine agencies to mitigate risks, including securing loose infrastructure and deploying emergency lighting to prevent accidents caused by flying debris.

Sandstorms hit Inner Mongolia, weather authorities issue yellow warning

China's domestically produced large passenger aircraft, the C919, has begun flying a new route linking Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province, with Wenzhou, a major economic city in east China's Zhejiang Province, according to the route's operator, China Southern Airlines. Monday's launch of the Guangzhou–Wenzhou service marks the regular deployment of the C919 on passenger flights between the two cities. China Southern Airlines plans to operate two round-trip flights daily on the route.

The C919 is a narrow-body passenger jet with a maximum capacity of 192 seats. It is China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, built to international airworthiness standards and featuring independently registered intellectual property rights.

China Southern Airlines, the country's largest carrier, has taken delivery of 10 C919 aircraft. As of Monday, its C919 fleet had operated more than 8,300 flights, carrying over 1.13 million passengers and serving 21 destinations.

China's homegrown C919 aircraft launches new domestic air route