Strong winds brought dust and sand from the Gobi desert on Monday, turning skies orange in the Chinese capital of Beijing and forcing the China Meteorological Administration to issue a yellow alert.

The local weather bureau called the event the biggest sandstorm in a decade, Reuters reported.

The dust was also affecting the provinces of Gansu, Shanxi and Hebei.

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According to the BBC, the storm caused air pollution measurements to skyrocket, with some districts showing 160 times the recommended limit.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled in and out of Beijing, and several freeways in Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi and Xinjiang were forced to shut down, the Washington Post reported. Schools have been told to cancel outdoor events, while those with respiratory ailments have been advised to stay indoors.

According China’s state news agency Xinhua, heavy sandstorms have also hit neighboring Mongolia, where at least dozens of people are missing and six were left dead, according to the BBC.

The environment ministry expects the sandstorms to clear by Wednesday or Thursday as winds shift south.

Sandstorms are not unusual for Beijing in springtime, due to the proximity of the Gobi desert. Deforestation and soil erosion throughout northern China also contribute largely to the problem, Reuters reported. The country has set forth reforestation efforts as well as efforts to restore the region's ecology to try to address the problem.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.