Eleven to 15 sand storms are expected hit China this spring, about the same as last year when the country experienced 14 sand storms but far less than the annual average of 26.

The State Forestry Administration (SFA) has called together a team of 25 experts, including 10 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to help improve storm forecasting and warning. The SFA is also investing heavily in setting up a monitoring network, said an administration official.

Another official told Xinhua that the SFA is taking five specific measures to deal with sand storms, but he refused to say what the measures were.

Other research shows that government departments have come up with emergency plans and strengthened staff training to protect the dry and vulnerable topsoil in north China. There has also been a more strict enforcement of laws and regulations designed to prevent trees from being cut or other practices that can cause erosion.

Northern China has been frequently hit by strong wind gusts. Extremely strong winds derailed a passenger train in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on February 28, killing three people and injuring 30 others, two of them seriously.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2007)