Dust storm hits several places in Iraq, cancels flights
Dust storm in Iraq. The Telegraph image.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Today, a dust storm hit Baghdad and many Iraqi governorates leading to suspension of work in many institutions including schools and major airports, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The Iraqi Meteorological Authority, on Sunday evening, specified the cities that will be most affected by the dust storm, and expected when it will end.
“Dust storms will increase in northern region where governorates of Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, Nineveh and parts of Sulaymaniyah will be affected, western region where Anbar governorate is, the capital Baghdad in the central region, and Diyala governorate in the northeastern region,” INA reported citing a statement of the spokesperson of the Iraqi Meteorological Authority, Ammar al-Jabri.
Jabri explained that the visibility range before the dust storm will be 2-4 kilometers, and 1000 meters during the storm. He added that aviation and driving on highways will be dangerous during the storm, and confirmed that the storm will end Monday evening.
The administration of Baghdad International Airport issued a notice to travelers and airline companies that fights are canceled for the rest of the day due to dust storms and visibility range that reached 300 meters.
Also, the administration of Najaf International Airport suspended flights and evacuated travelers from the airport.
Additionally, the Iraqi Ministry of Education decided to suspend the work in all schools and postpone exams until the next day because of the dust storm.