Dust storms hit air quality and flights across the region
▶ Flights continue as scheduled despite tail end of sandstorm blanketing parts of Emirates
Saudi Arabia was hit by its third dust storm in a month yesterday, with authorities urging motorists to take care on the roads of Riyadh.
The tallest buildings in the capital were obscured by the storm as air quality dropped sharply.
One area of the city registered a score of 280 on the Air Quality Index, which is close to levels that are considered hazardous.
A score of 50 or below shows good air quality.
Storms are not uncommon in the region at this time of year, but they have proved disruptive. Schools and government offices closed yesterday in Iranian cities such as Tehran.
Air quality was poor and the level of pollution from the dust was high, state TV reported.
Last week, authorities closed schools in Tehran because of a sandstorm, but yesterday marked the first time government offices in the city had been closed due to a storm.
Tehran is among the most polluted cities in the world. Schools and offices in the west of the country, along the border with Iraq, have been closed frequently because of sandstorms.
On Monday, dozens of flights were cancelled or delayed in western Iran.
Kuwait International Airport also halted flights for more than an hour on Monday owing to a dust storm, while at least three people died near Syria’s border with Iraq because of the storm.
Iraq has faced eight dust storms in recent weeks. More than 4,000 people were admitted to hospital with breathing problems on Monday after a storm hit cities such as Basra.
Experts have blamed the frequency and intensity of recent storms on poor government policies, desertification and low water levels, as well as climate change. A sandstorm also swept across the UAE yesterday, reducing visibility to a few hundred metres in some areas.
The National Centre of Meteorology said north-westerly winds of up to 40 kilometres an hour blew dust and sand across the country.
The poor conditions lingered into the evening, but did not affect flights in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
A sandstorm swept across the UAE yesterday, reducing visibility to a few hundred metres in some areas.
The National Centre of Meteorology said north-westerly winds of up to 40 kilometres an hour blew dust and sand and that was expected to continue for two more days.
Residents shared pictures and videos on social media as the dust obscured the sun in parts of the country.
Abu Dhabi’s Reem Island was among the areas hit by the storm, with the dust causing a sharp drop in visibility.
The conditions lingered into the evening, but flights in
Abu Dhabi and Dubai were not affected.
Etihad Airways, Emirates and flydubai all told the The National that flights were running as scheduled.
“Our operations have not been affected,” an Emirates spokesman said. “All flights are running per normal.”
Earlier, Abu Dhabi Police issued warnings about poor visibility and urged drivers to take care.
Visibility was also reduced along the coast. In Dubai, there were hazy and dusty conditions and poor visibility.
The conditions appeared to be the tail end of a storm that covered Iraq on Monday.
Images from the EU’s Copernicus
satellite showed the weather front moved south into the Gulf, leading to poor visibility and air quality.
At Hamad International Airport in Doha, visibility was reported as being down to 1,000 metres or less.
Sandstorms are common in the UAE. They most often happen during the summer and in turbulent weather, such as during the transition from winter to spring, when rising temperatures cause strong winds.
The meteorology centre forecast more storms over the next few days.
Experts at the centre said winds of up to 40 kph could continue to kick up dust clouds today and tomorrow.