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World / Middle East

Powerful dust storm covers Kuwait and parts of southern Iraq

Published: 14 Apr 2025 - 10:52 pm | Last Updated: 14 Apr 2025 - 10:53 pm
Peninsula

QNA

Kuwait and parts of southern Iraq witnessed a severe dust storm that reduced or even eliminated visibility in many areas.

In Kuwait, the Meteorological Department announced that a dust storm "is currently covering the entire country and will continue throughout the night."

The Meteorological Department reported that horizontal visibility "has dropped to less than 100 meters and is zero in some areas."

It explained that the weather will gradually improve starting tomorrow morning, Tuesday. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior also stressed the need to adhere to instructions, not to leave home except in cases of extreme necessity, and to avoid driving near sand accumulations.

In Iraq, several areas in the south of the country experienced strong winds carrying heavy dust, causing flights to be briefly suspended at Basra International Airport and power outages in some areas.

Satellite images indicated active westerly surface winds, leading to the formation of a dense dust wave that significantly reduced horizontal visibility to less than one kilometer in some areas. The dust wave is likely to extend to the central and southern parts of the country during the evening hours.