Wall of sand surges on city in China

A wall of sand measuring almost 100 metres has completely engulfed a city in northwest China.

The fast-moving sand storm was filmed yesterday blowing through the Gansu province of Zhangye, a city in the country’s northwest.

The entire city was shrouded in a thick yellow fog and locals were urged to wear protective face masks as the dust settled.

Local authorities had an emergency response plan in place as winds of more than 60 km/h blew the sand in from the nearby Gobi Desert and resulted in visibility of less than 10 metres for much of the population.

An estimated 1.2 million people live in the city and local media said a warning was sent out advising people to “take precautions.”

The storms are common in the region’s dry season where loose soil and sand is blown into urban areas from the nearby desert.

A similar sand storm is forecast for the city of Beijing as the winds move in from the northwest.