Sandstorm: The sky in Iraq and Khuzestan, Iran, turned orange

A sand and dust storm in Iraq has caused a number of flights to be canceled and many people have been hospitalized with respiratory problems. In Khuzestan province, schools, universities and banks have been closed due to an "orange alert".

Dust has blanketed the skies of five central and western Iraqi provinces, covering streets, cars and even homes.

Respiratory problems have sent at least 60 people to hospital in Najaf. At least 50 people were hospitalized in Karbala on Sunday with respiratory problems. Anbar province in western Iraq reported 30 similar visits.

Flights have been suspended at Baghdad and Najaf airports due to "limited visibility," and horizontal visibility in these areas has dropped to less than 500 meters.

272 days of dust a year

With the onset of the hot season, winds from the northwest blow across the Tigris and Euphrates plains in Iraq, causing severe dust in the country.

According to meteorologists, drought, reduced rainfall, and desertification have exacerbated this phenomenon.

An expert from the Iraqi Ministry of Environment has said that "in the coming decades, we will face 272 days of dust per year."

Closure of schools, universities and banks in Khuzestan

The sand and dust storm in Iraq has also affected the country's neighboring provinces in Iran.

With the arrival of dust on Sunday evening, the Khuzestan Meteorological Department issued an "orange warning" and schools, universities, offices, and banks in the province were declared closed on Monday, May 12.

Ilam province has also been affected by severe dust, with horizontal visibility reaching less than 50 meters. Dust concentrations in some areas of the province have reached over 8,000 micrograms per cubic meter. The permissible limit for dust in the air is 150 micrograms per cubic meter.

Source: DW