Saharan dust was picked up by a storm system and was carried hundreds of miles east, turning the air orange in several Middle Eastern countries over the past few days. The sandstorm was first seen in Egypt, blanketing Cairo for two consecutive days. On Wednesday, the sand moved over Israel and Lebanon, leading to some of the worst pollution in years and, when paired with gusty winds, forced some residents to walk backward to keep the grit off their faces. Strong winds from the system also brought large waves into Beirut's famous corniche along the Mediterranean Sea. A potent low-pressure system has been moving through the eastern Mediterranean Sea early this week," said weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. "Strong winds on the southern periphery of this storm helped to pull sand and dust from northern Africa across Egypt on Tuesday and points eastward from there."
Israel's Environmental Protection Ministry said air pollution levels were the country's worst in five years and the storm would last into Wednesday night. Israeli airports spokeswoman Liza Dvir said flights to and from the Red Sea resort city of Eilat temporarily were grounded due to the weather, though planes still flew through the country's main international hub, Ben Gurion Airport outside of Tel Aviv. On Tuesday, the strong sandstorm first reached Egypt, temporarily closing Cairo International Airport to incoming flights. The weather front also caused strong waves to crash into the coast and saw Egypt close two of its seaports. The sandstorm hit Egypt after unusually warm and sunny weather for a February day. Such sandstorms are common in Egypt this time of year.
http://www.weather.com/news/news/middle-east-sandstorm
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