Beijing residents, armed with face masks to shield them from the anticipated sand on windy Wednesday, quickly discovered that they were unnecessary as skies remained clear and sunny.

"At this time last year, terrible sandstorms were sweeping the whole city," recalled local resident Wang Jing.

Beijing was struck by three consecutive sand storms in late March last year.

The Beijing Municipal Meteorological Bureau said the capital city of China has not experienced any sandstorms to date this year, attributing it to the increased rainfall in Beijing and its surrounding areas.

Environmental analysts in Beijing say the improved environment in Beijing has produced results.

The current renovation of the city's third ring road has generated almost no dust or pollution due to proper protection measures, said the analyst.

The Central Meteorological Station forecast that Wednesday's gale, brought in by a cold front from Siberia, will move out of Beijing by Wednesday evening, and that the high winds will diminish on Thursday.

Medical staff in Beijing say the strong winds have a positive impact on air circulation and alleviate respiratory diseases.

(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2003)