RIYADH: A thick blanket of sand swiped through the Saudi capital on Friday, enveloping the city skyline with heavy dust caused by strong winds, hampering visibility during the day time.
The traffic department in Riyadh cautioned motorists and advised them to go slow and exercise restraint, as well as use headlights to avoid any eventuality due to high speed.
The department also warned that darkness had enveloped the main routes due to the heavy sandstorm, which started on Thursday night.
The unpleasant weather, however, had no major impact on the air traffic in the capital as flights remained on schedule at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.
As the blinding dust continued to envelope the city, drivers were seen using headlights to avoid mishaps.
The General Directorate of Civil Defense, however, advised Riyadh residents to avoid going to sandy picnic spots during the weekend to avoid any encounters during the storm.
Earlier, the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) forecast the sandstorm approaching Riyadh with highspeed winds and warned of reduced horizontal visibility.
The wind speed on Friday was recorded at 47 km per hour. The maximum temperature for the day was recorded at 44 degrees Celsius, whereas humidity was pegged relatively low at 7 percent, making the day otherwise comfortable.
Heavy sandstorm sweeps Riyadh enveloping city skyline with dust
Updated 27 July 2018
Heavy sandstorm sweeps Riyadh enveloping city skyline with dust
