Guangdong addresses dust problems

Guangdong Province is expected to introduce a floating dust warning system to help tackle worsening air pollution. Meteorological departments in the province have established observation stations in Guangzhou’s Panyu District, as well as the cities of Zhongshan, Dongguan and Foshan in the prosperous Pearl River Delta. "The move aims to further monitor the province’s dusty weather and help collect more first-hand material for future introduction of the new warning system," said Wu Dui, a researcher from the Guangzhou Research Institute of Tropical Oceanic Meteorology.  "If everything goes smoothly, the new warning system will be introduced in two years," he said yesterday. Guangdong would then become the first region in the country to introduce such a system, Wu added.

Guangzhou, the provincial capital, and other major cities in the Pearl River Delta, have been hit by more dusty weather this year. In the latest episode, dusty and hazy weather has plagued Guangzhou since mid-October, more than 20 days. The number of days marked by dust clouds in the city hit 125 in the first 10 months this year, compared with only 85 days in 2002 and 98 last year. Last week, dust cut down visibility on the ground to less than 2 kilometres.