URUMUQI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A severe sandstorm hit Xinjiang's Hotan Prefecture in northwest China on Friday, reducing visibility to zero in some areas, local meteorological observatory said.

The fierce sandstorm swept through the prefecture from west to east in the morning, said a spokesman with Hotan's meteorological observatory.

The sandstorm, though reducing in severity, would continue to plague the area till March 16, leading to a temperature drop of 5 to 8 degrees Celsius, he added.

The sandstorm had affected local traffic and agriculture, according to a statement from the Hotan government.