ULAN BATOR, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Heavy dust storms are hitting Gobi desert and steppe provinces in southern and eastern Mongolia, the country's National Emergency Management Agency said Monday.
Wind speeds are reaching 18 to 24 meters per second in Sukhbaatar and Dornod provinces in the east and Dundgovi and Dornogovi provinces in the south, the emergency agency said, warning citizens, especially nomadic herders, to take extra precautions against possible disasters.
The winds and dust storms swept through western and central parts and some southern provinces of the country over the weekend.
Strong winds, dust storms and snowstorms have become common weather events during spring in Mongolia, one of the nomadic countries in the world. According to the country's environment and tourism ministry, dust storms caused by climate change have been more frequent in recent years.
Ten people, mostly nomadic herders, and hundreds of thousands of livestock died in Mongolia due to strong winds and heavy storms in mid-March. Enditem