Strong winds swept a fierce sandstorm into Xinjiang's Hotan Prefecture, in far-western China, lowering visibility to zero in some areas, Chinese local media reported. The sandstorm is feared to have affected crops, Xinhua quoted a local government official as saying. The thick orange haze cast by the sandstorm forced drivers to turn on their headlights and keep a careful eye on their speedometer. Chinese state news agency quoted a local weather official as saying the sandstorm would calm slightly but would continue to blast the area until March 16.
