A heavy sandstorm hit Jiuquan and Jiayu Pass areas in northwest China's Gansu Province Monday night, with the visibility in the affected areas declining to 200 meters. 

The sandstorm with strong wind suddenly hit the aforementioned areas at 9:20 p.m. Monday.

According to the meteorological station of Jiuquan City, the sandstorm formed in the Alxa League in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 5 p.m. Monday and moved southwest since then. The sandstorm swept over an area of about 180,000 sq km, covering Jiuquan and Jiayu Pass areas, within about four hours.

Xu Dianxiang, an official with the Jiuquan Meteorological Station, said that sandstorm is rarely seen in the current season and he attributed the sandstorm to dry weather and high temperature over the past two weeks.

(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2004)