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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Severe sandstorm blankets Eastern Province |
| 2011-03-27 |
| [Arab News] The Eastern Province was in the eye of a severe sandstorm on Friday evening. Visibility was reduced to zero and a sharp wind, laden with sand, whipped down streets in Dammam, Dhahran, Alkhobar, Al-Hasa, Hafr Al-Batin, Ras Tanura and Jubail. The storm started blanketing the region at 10 p.m. as sand-laden winds exceeding 25 mph made life difficult for motorists who drove with hazard lights on as they negotiated their way through the thick balls of yellow and orange dust. Within one hour, the streets were empty. At 11 p.m. Friday, Dammam looked like a ghost city. A front man for the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment in Dammam said the storm would subside in six hours. Traffic police reported a couple of accidents on the highways crisscrossing the province but reported no serious cases. "Yes, the visibility has been reduced to zero in many cities," said Mohammad Al-Qahtani, the official weather forecaster. "It is a fierce sandstorm," he said and added that it originated in the Kingdom's north. |
| Posted by:Fred |