DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The world’s
tallest building disappeared behind a grey layer of dust on Wednesday as
sandstorms that have swept the
Middle East hit the UAE, prompting weather and
traffic warnings.
اضافة اعلان
The 828mBurj Khalifa, which towers over Dubai and is
usually visible across the busy financial hub, retreated behind a curtain of
airborne dirt that shrouded much of the country.
The UAE is just the latest country in the path of
sandstorms that have smothered Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and others in
recent days, closing airports and schools and sending thousands to hospitals
with breathing problems.
Capital city Abu Dhabi’s
air quality index (AQI)soared into the “hazardous” zone overnight, according to waqi.info and the
Plume pollution app.
The Middle East’s sandstorms are becoming more
frequent and intense, a trend associated with overgrazing and deforestation,
overuse of river water, and more dams.
Experts say the phenomenon could worsen as climate
change warps regional weather patterns and drives desertification.
Emirati authorities issued a nationwide warning
urging residents to remain vigilant.
“Abu Dhabi Police urges drivers to be cautious due
to low visibility during high winds and dust,” the police force tweeted, as
residents took to social media to publish photos and videos.
“Please do not be distracted by taking any videos or
using your phone,” it added.
‘Hazardous weather’
A National Center for
Meteorology graphic showed nearly all the country covered by the storm, with
the warning: “Be on the alert: hazardous weather events are expected.”
Winds with speeds up to 40km per hour are blowing
the dust, it said, reducing visibility in some areas to less than 2,000m.
However, a
Dubai airports spokesman said there was
no impact on air traffic. Weather conditions were expected to remain the same
for the next few days.
In neighboring
Saudi Arabia, badly hit on Tuesday,
conditions eased in the capital Riyadh on Wednesday but continued to restrict
visibility in the city center.
Emergency rooms in
Riyadh hospitals received some 1,285 people suffering from respiratory problems
over 24 hours from the sandstorm, the state-run Al-Ekhbariya channel reported
late on Tuesday.
The Saudi national weather center reported that dust
was also affecting visibility in the west and south, specifically in Assir,
Najran, Hael, and Medina provinces. Medina is home to Medina city, the second
holiest city in Islam.
The center predicted another sandstorm would arrive in the
kingdom by Sunday.
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