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Forecaster: Future sandstorms still unpredictable

By Guan Xiaomeng (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-02-20 17:41

The prolonged drought that has haunted northern China may not necessarily herald or intensify sandstorms, a chief meteorologist said in Beijing on Friday.

"Given that many a factor triggers sandstorms, we don't yet know whether if China will be inflicted by more sandstorms this year, though we still have lingering drought," Lin Jian, top forecaster of the Central Meteorological Station told chinadaily.com.cn.

The Central Meteorological Station reported said that part of North China's Gansu and Hebei provinces and Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region were hit by this year's first sand drifting on Wednesday and Thursday amid the country's worst drought in five decades since last November.

Lin said that the four-month long drought is not the immediate cause of the sandstorms, adding that “The prolonged drought is only one of the factors that lead to the drifting sand.”

"Strong winds, the source of the sand and vegetation are all directly linked with the sandstorms," Lin explained, adding that sandstorms have become less frequent in Beijing and other places in northern China in recent years thanks partly to the expansion of the forestation projects.

Some experts predicted that would north China will have more sandstorms than in last year due to lack of rainfall.