Northwest China's Qinghai Province was blanketed in dust as a large-scale sandstorm struck the province on Monday afternoon, according to the provincial meteorological station.
   
In most areas, the sky turned grey and visibility was reduced to less than 100 meters, officials with the station said.
   
"The storm was caused by a cold front which developed from Xinjiang and moved eastward. It was the largest sandstorm to strike the province this year," a spokesman said.
   
According to a previous forecast by the China Meteorological Administration, northern and northwestern China should expect eleven to 15 sandstorms this spring.

(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2007)