Dubai: A heavy sandstorm engulfed Kuwait on Monday, reducing visibility to the barest minimum and turning the sky into orange-red as the dust blanketed the entire country, local media reported.
The Ministry of Interior has urged the public to exercise caution due to the change in weather and the wave of dust that the country is currently experiencing. In a press release, the Ministry called on the General Administration of Relations and Security Media not to hesitate to call the emergency hotline 112 when necessary to provide security or traffic assistance.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Education announced that schools will be suspended today (Tuesday) for students due to dust storm and accumulation of dust, especially in the open areas of schools. Teaching will resume on Wednesday.
Airports
Flights to and from Kuwait International Airport were also temporarily halted on Monday due to the storm that ebbed visibility throughout Kuwait.
Flights have been affected with the current weather conditions, said Imad Al Jalawi, Deputy Director General for Air Navigation Services at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (Kuna).
Flights’ scheduled will be reviewed and regular aviation will resume once visibility has been improved, Al Jalawi added. He said that Kuwait is currently affected with low visibility along with strong winds reaching more than 50 km/h.
