20100322 Desert storm blankets most of North China(1)

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn The sky across North China turned dark yellow over the weekend as the biggest sandstorm this year offered a grim reminder of the impact of the country's worsening desertification. Dust sweeps through Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing on Saturday as North China reeled under a huge sandstorm. [WEN BAO/FOR CHINA DAILY] Thanks to overgrazing, deforestation, urbanization and drought, deserts now make up more than 16 percent of the country, and scientists say the shifting sands are increasing the risk of sandstorms - the grit from which could travel as far as the western United States. The Chinese Academy of Sciences estimates that the number of sandstorms has jumped six-fold in the past 50 years to two dozen a year. Around 80 percent of sandstorms occur between March and May, with the country experiencing an average of 5.2 dusty days - often a byproduct of sandstorms - in April, said Lin Jian, chief forecaster with the China Meteorological Administration.