[3][4] Beijing and cities in the Mongolian Plateau[5] regularly experience sandstorms in March and April, partially due to their proximity to the Gobi Desert.

[9] In 1978, China started the Three-North Shelter Forest Program to counteract the effects, in particular by planting new trees on 35 million hectares of land to trap incoming dust.

[10] Immediately prior to the sandstorm, Beijing had been experiencing high levels of pollution, with the city covered in smog, as a result of heavy industry work to recover from the pandemic.

[15] On March 20, a blue alert for sandstorms was issued in central Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and the North China Plain, but spread further west to Xinjiang as well.

[4] Schools have been told to cancel outdoor events, and people with respiratory diseases, as well as children and older residents, were advised to stay indoors.

The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted "very bad" PM10 levels – over 151 micrograms per cubic meter – in the Seoul Capital Area and on Jeju Island, as well as the provinces of Chungcheong and Jeolla.