Enlarge image
Skyline of the capital Riyadh during the sandstorm
Photo: FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
A sandstorm on Tuesday made the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh disappear under a thick layer of dust.
Due to the gray air, high-rise buildings were barely visible from a few hundred meters away, and parked cars and buildings were covered in dust.
Flight delays or cancellations were initially not reported despite the limited visibility.
The weather service spoke of "dusty surface winds" in the east of the kingdom and in Riyadh with "limited horizontal visibility".
Sandstorms were also expected for the cities of Mecca and Medina in the west of the country.
Heavy sandstorms also in Iraq
Intense heat and low rainfall due to climate change are triggering more frequent sandstorms in the region.
Neighboring Iraq was hit by eight sandstorms in April alone.
Thousands of people had to be treated in hospitals because of respiratory problems.
Asthmatics and the elderly were particularly affected.
In several regions of the country, authorities asked people not to go outdoors if possible.
On Tuesday, authorities, schools and universities were again closed in Mesopotamia due to sandstorms.
bam/AFP
