Gales, floating sand particles, and dust are expected to hit Beijing from Monday to Tuesday, said the Beijing meteorological bureau on Monday noon.

Under the effect of cold air and the Mongolian cyclone, sand and dust weather and gales affecting the Chinese capital will last until Tuesday evening, with weather authorities issuing blue alerts.

Starting from early Monday morning, Beijing experienced dusty weather. With stronger winds in the evening, the concentration of sand and dust would significantly increase, with the lowest visibility of 1 km to 4 km, said Zhang Linna, chief forecaster at the Beijing Meteorological Service.

Elderly people, children, and those with respiratory allergies are advised to reduce outdoor activities as much as possible and take necessary precautions.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system for sandstorms, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.