BEIJING (Reuters) - A sand storm struck the Chinese capital on Monday, covering homes, streets and cars in brown dust and leaving the skies a murky yellow as it suffers its worst pollution in years ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Desertification of the country's west and Mongolian steppes has made the spring sand storms worse in recent years, reaching as far away as South Korea and Japan.

Cold, windy weather, a glut of construction sites and poor plant cover around Beijing have also contributed.

So far in 2006, Beijing has notched up 13 days of the worst measure of pollution, more than last year's total and the highest in six years, state media said.

Only 53 "blue sky" days in Beijing had been recorded in 2006 by last Wednesday. The city sets a target of about 230 such clean days a year to help what it says will be a "Green Olympics".

Hospitals have also dealt with a sharp increase in patients with respiratory diseases, and on Monday local newspapers warned residents to wear masks outdoors.

"It took me quite a while to wipe off the sand on my car," said office clerk Chong Zi, who drove to work. "But there's no point in washing it -- who knows when the next storm will hit?"

Source :-

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews....TORM.xml&rpc=22

http://www.atsnn.com/story/204046.html

Understanding why these dust stroms are affecting everyone...just look at the map and see the draught patterns that are forming accross the world. Last year, when Africa suffered these tremendous dust storms, the US was experiencing dust on our cars! Think about it....that dust traveled all the way around the world.

Remind me about end times. The sun and moon shall not give the light. Dust storm is everywhere. It can seriously affect lot of things. Like vegation. People will starve.

That is major! I seen the dust in China this morning on the news.
It was wicked looking. Tig I cannot believe that map, I had no
idea it was that severe. Just one more sign!

Your Friend in Christ,
Valerie

Messiahiscoming

Psalms 107 and Isaiah 33

Hosea 13:13 The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children. 14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. 15 Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.