New sandstorm alert issued in Saudi Arabia
Met centre says storms will affect some parts of the kingdom and continue for three days
Cairo: Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for Meteorology has issued an alert about sandstorms and strong winds starting Saturday, a Saudi newspaper has reported.
The centre said the storms will affect some parts of the kingdom and continue for three days, Saudi news portal Ajel said.
People are urged to observe guidelines related to such circumstances for safety.
Earlier this week, a sandstorm, which originated in Iraq, hit the Saudi capital Riyadh and the Eastern Province lowering visibility and put hospitals on alert to handle emergencies.
Health authorities advised sufferers of respiratory problems such as asthma against exposure to dust and recommended face mask wearing.
The Tuesday storm sent around 1,285 people with respiratory problems to hospitals in Riyadh, according to media reports.
In neighbouring Iraq, at least 4,000 people went to hospital Monday for respiratory issues in Iraq where eight sandstorms have blanketed the country since mid-April. That was on top of the more than 5,000 treated in Iraqi hospitals for similar respiratory ailments earlier this month.
The phenomenon has also smothered Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with more feared in the coming days. Strong winds lift large amounts of sand and dust into the atmosphere, that can then travel hundreds, even thousands, of kilometres.