Northern China was hit by four sand storms in March which is average for the past six years, according to China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on Monday.

There were two strong and two moderate light sand storms, said Li Zhangjun, deputy director of the Department of Forecasting Services and Disaster Mitigation under CMA.

The sand storm that lasted from March 6 to 12 was the strongest as it blew through much of northern China including Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang and Beijing.

The national average rainfall in China was 22.5 millimeters of rainfall in March, about 5.7 millimeters less than the figure in the same period last year. Areas north of Huaihe River and Qinling Mountain received less than 10 millimeters of rainfall and some parts in northern China received no rainfall at all, Li said.

China usually experiences sand storms between February and May, but they are most frequent and most severe in March and April.

(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2006)