(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-29 19:21

LANZHOU - The first regional sandstorm of the spring hit the northwestern province of Gansu on Friday, with the arid Minqin county experiencing a strong sandstorm, a local meteorologist said.

The storm, accompanied by strong winds, started at 8:00 a.m. and lingered, according to observations at five meteorological stations: Lanzhou, Jinchang, Minqin, Jintai and Gaotai. Floating sand and dust were observed at several other meteorological stations.

The strong sandstorm hit Minqin county at 12:40 p.m. and turned the sky dark and yellow, with a visibility of about 300 meters at ground level, said Hu Lili, a Minqin Meteorological Observation observer.

People wrapped scarves tightly around their mouths and sand got into houses through doors and window gaps, she said.

The strong sandstorm ended at around 2:00 p.m. in Minqin but the dusty weather continued.

The first sandstorm of spring in the province hit Dunhuang and Yumen on February 22 but didn't develop into a regional sandstorm, which requires three observations in a single day.

Most of the province will have fine weather on Saturday, the Lanzhou Municipal Meteorological Observatory said on Friday.