Cover news reporter Lu Dang Zhang Xinxin
On April 13, the dust weather returned to the north. This is also the fourth time that a dust and sand weather process has occurred in the northern part of the mainland since March.
The cover news reporter noticed that the Central Meteorological Observatory has issued a blue warning for strong winds and sandstorms since 20 o'clock on the 12th.
On April 13, many places in Ningxia encountered windy and dusty weather, and sandstorms with visibility less than 1,000 meters occurred in some areas. Image source: CCTV
What is the impact of this round of sand and dust?
There are strong sandstorms locally, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei will be affected
In view of the current round of sand and dust weather (April 13-15), Zhang Bihui of the National Meteorological Center introduced that under the influence of cold air, from the 13th to the 15th, most of the northern regions have successively had 4~6 winds, the wind strength in the central and western parts of Inner Mongolia and Hexi in Gansu can reach 7~9, and the wind strength in the Shankou area of Xinjiang and the central and western parts of Inner Mongolia can reach 10~12.
Affected by it, there will be a sand and dust weather process in Northwest China and North China.
Among them, from the 13th to the 14th, the dust weather mainly affected the southern and eastern parts of Xinjiang, the central and western parts of Gansu, the central and western parts of Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, the northern part of Shaanxi, Shanxi and other places. There were sandstorms in parts of eastern and southern Xinjiang and central and western Inner Mongolia. During the day on the 13th, sandstorms or strong sandstorms have occurred in Turpan in Xinjiang, Zhangye and Wuwei in Gansu, and Alxa and Bayannur in Inner Mongolia.
It is expected that from the night of the 14th, the sand and dust weather will gradually affect the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and there will be weak floating dust weather. On the night of the 15th, the current round of sand and dust weather tended to end.
Sun Tao, a professor-level senior engineer at the Forestry and Grassland Survey and Planning Institute of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said that recently, the temperature in southern Mongolia and the mainland Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and other places is high, the snow has melted, the surface has thawed, the soil is loose, and most of the vegetation in the northern region has not begun to grow back, and the surface vegetation coverage is less than 20%, and the surface vegetation coverage conditions are not conducive to inhibiting the occurrence and development of the dust weather.
On April 14, Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang, issued an orange warning for sandstorms. Image credit: National Emergency Broadcasting Network
Are there more sandstorms this spring?
The frequency and severity of the occurrence have decreased compared to last year
The reporter learned that at the beginning of each year, the China Meteorological Administration and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration will jointly hold a spring dust forecast meeting to analyze and judge the trend of sand and dust weather in the northern region in spring, and form a comprehensive forecast opinion. This cooperation mechanism has been in place for more than 20 years, starting in 2003.
On January 10 this year, the two departments jointly discussed with the National Climate Center - it is expected that this spring, the number of sand and dust weather processes in the northern region will be less than that of the same period in normal years, close to the same period in 2023 or less, and the sand and dust intensity will be generally weak. The number of dust days in northern China is less than that of the same period in normal years and less than that of the same period in 2023. However, the circulation fluctuates greatly in spring, and there may be a period of strong cold air processes, resulting in strong sand and dust processes affecting the northern part of the mainland.
According to the data, as of April 15, the number of sand and dust weather processes this spring is one less than the average for the same period since 2000, and three fewer than that in 2023.
"Since the beginning of spring in 2024, the frequency and severity of sand and dust weather affecting the northern part of the mainland, especially Beijing, have decreased compared with the same period in 2023. Li Xiaosong, a researcher at the Aerospace Information Innovation Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that compared with the underlying surface conditions in the same period, it was found that the proportion of snow cover in the sand and dust source areas affecting North China in 2024 was significantly higher than that in 2023. He further said that North China increased by about 10% year-on-year in January and February, and 5% in March, and this phenomenon is more significant in Mongolia, with a year-on-year increase of more than 20% in January and February, and still an increase of 14% in March. Soil moisture in Mongolia is also higher than in 2023, and the underlying snow cover and soil moisture conditions are conducive to less sand and dust weather this spring.
On March 27, the Central Meteorological Observatory issued four warnings in a row: a yellow warning for sandstorms, a blue warning for high winds, a blue warning for heavy rain, and a blue warning for severe convective weather. Image source: CCTV
Will there still be dust days?
5-7 sandstorms are expected in the north from this month to next
"It is expected that from April to May, the number of sand and dust weather processes in the north will be 5-7, close to the same period of the year (6-7 times) or slightly less, and less than the same period in 2023 (9 times). Liu Yunyun, a researcher at the National Climate Center, introduced.
She added that there were 1-2 sandstorms and strong sandstorm processes with overall weak intensity. The average number of dust days is 3-4 days, which is less than the same period in normal year and less than the same period in 2023 (6.8 days).
According to the analysis of the climatic conditions for the formation of sand and dust weather, under the background of global warming, the spring temperature in northern China has been significantly warmer in the past decade, and the cold air force has been weak. At present, the frequency of sand and dust processes in northern China in spring is in the interdecadal background of low, and the intensity of sand and dust processes is generally weak.
It is expected that from April to May, the zonal circulation will prevail in the middle and high latitudes of Eurasia, and the cold air activity affecting the northern region will be weak, and the dynamic conditions for dust transport will be relatively poor, which is not conducive to the number of dust days and dust processes.
Some experts remind that although the winter and spring are generally warm under the background of El Niño SST, the cold and warm fluctuate greatly, and it is prone to periodic strong cold air processes, which will lead to strong sand and dust processes affecting the northern part of the continent.
How to link desertification prevention and control?
The mainland meteorological and forestry and grassland departments have initially established a business cooperation chain
The reporter learned that in view of desertification prevention and control, the mainland meteorological and forestry and grassland departments have initially established a business cooperation chain at the national level.
The two sides have carried out comprehensive and in-depth cooperation in the areas of surface condition monitoring of sand sources, sand and dust weather forecasting and prediction, sand and dust storm disaster early warning and emergency response, sand and dust weather review and impact assessment, and desertification prevention and control meteorological conditions forecast and evaluation.
The relevant person in charge of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said that in the past 20 years, the mainland has continuously increased the intensity of desertification prevention and control, and social forces have actively participated, and the area of desertification and desertification on the mainland has continued to decrease, and the degree has continued to decrease. The construction project of the Three-North Shelterbelt has also played an undoubted role in the prevention and control of sand and dust, and the reduction and weakening of sand and dust weather.
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