Dust envelops Beijing

BEIJING was yesterday shrouded in a yellow-orange haze as tonnes of sand from deserts in China's interior blew in to the city. Beijing authorities warned that air quality was "hazardous" and told citizens to stay at home.

There were few people out on streets where pedestrians could taste the dust. Many of those who had ventured from their homes were wearing facemasks, and some left footprints in the yellow film that had settled on the city's streets.