Impressive sandstorm sweeps through Saudi Arabia
An impressive sandstorm swept through Saudi Arabia's northern city of Sakaka on Saturday, March 18, 2017, and was captured on video. On Sunday, an "advance alert" was issued following a sandstorm that hit the western city of Jeddah and other areas of Saudi Arabia.
Hussein Al-Qahtani, official spokesperson of the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection (PME), told Arab News that Jeddah was on advance alert this morning but the condition is mild now. Jeddah’s case is the lowest on the scale of climate severity, he added.
The sandstorm, named “Madar” by the Committee for Naming Saudi Climate Conditions, caused obscured visibility of below 1 km (0.62 miles). This mainly affected drivers heading to work in the morning rush hour.
The areas affected by the storm were Qassim, the Eastern Province, Riyadh, Northern Borders, Madinah and parts of Makkah Province, which includes Jeddah.
Sandstorm Saudi Arabia on March 19, 2017. Credit: NASA Terra/MODIS
Sandstorm Saudi Arabia on March 19, 2017. Credit: NASA Terra/MODIS
The dusty weather in Jeddah and other areas in the Kingdom was caused by a sandstorm that hit the Libyan desert in the past few days, and then passed through Egypt, the paper said.
The duststorm that is now on Egipt heads towards KSA. Fcst: https://t.co/smL467qIO5 @WMO @eumetsat @PmeMediacen @AEMET_Esp pic.twitter.com/F6u4MpGcGG
— Barcelona Dust (@Dust_Barcelona) March 18, 2017
“We are in a transitional phase when changes in weather are expected,” Al-Qahtani said.
People with asthma and respiratory problems are advised to stay home in such weather.
Featured image: Impressive sandstorm sweeps through Saudi Arabia's northern city of Sakaka on Saturday, March 18, 2017.
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Other support options include Patreon pledges, one-off payments using PayPal and purchasing products from our webshop.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.