Heavy dust storm enshrouds Beijing

A heavy sandstorm hit Beijing Tuesday, shrouding the Chinese capital in a cloud of yellow dust and hampering visibility. Clouds of dust were being blown in from neighbouring Inner Mongolia and Shanxi province as a cold front moved in from the north.

Air quality has become a key concern ahead of the August Beijing Olympic Games, with city officials vowing to limit the number of cars on city streets and halt construction projects during the Games.

Dust kicked up by numerous construction projects in and around the capital is often cited as a major cause of Beijing's air pollution along with the city's growing number of cars. The dust storm was expected to last up to three days, but could begin to dissipate on Wednesday.