ULAN BATOR, April 18 (Xinhua) -- A strong wind and a heavy dust storm are hitting the western part of Mongolia, the country's meteorology and environmental monitoring agency said Tuesday.

The wind speed is reaching up to 40 meters per second in the western provinces of Zavkhan, Bayan-Ulgii, Uvs and Khovd, the weather agency said, urging the public, especially nomadic herders and drivers, to take extra precautions against possible disasters.

The strong wind and heavy dust storm are expected to reach central and southern Gobi provinces of the country Tuesday night and continue to reach the eastern part of the country on Thursday, with an average wind speed expected to reach 18 to 24 meters per second, the agency warned.

Mongolia has a harsh continental climate as strong winds, snow and dust storms are common during the spring.

Climate change-related desertification is the main factor behind the increasing frequency of yellow dust storms in Mongolia in recent years, according to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

The Asian country has a total land area of 1,564,116 square km, and around 77 percent of the country's total territory has been somehow affected by desertification and land degradation, according to official data. Enditem

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