Massive dust storm blankets Saudi region of Al Qassim

Cairo: A severe dust storm had hit Al Qassim region in central Saudi Arabia, shrouding vast swathes of its governorates and largely reducing visibility there, local media reported.

Accompanied by strong winds, the storm that struck Saturday afternoon engulfed the region into quasi-darkness and toppled trees.

Earlier, the Saudi National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) had cautioned that parts of Al Qassim would be affected by active winds that could lead to near-zero visibility and advised people to monitor weather alerts and heed safety guidelines.

For Sunday's weather, the centre forecast moderate- to- heavy thunderstorms, accompanied by hail showers and dust-raising winds in parts of the Saudi regions of Jazan, Asir, Al Baha, Mecca, Riyadh, and Al Qassim.

Light-to- moderate winds are meanwhile expected in parts of Ha'il in north-western Saudi Arabia, the Eastern Province, and the Northern Borders, extending to parts of Al Jawf and Tabuk in the north west. Active winds are also anticipated Sunday in Medina, limiting visibility in chunks of the region.