A sudden sandstorm has blown into Qatar this afternoon, catching those enjoying the pleasant weather off-guard and reducing visibility on the roads.
According to the Qatar Meteorology Department, the dust will continue blowing until at least this evening.
On Twitter, the MET said visibility has fallen to less than 600m, and urged caution on the roads:
آخر صور الأقمار الاصطناعيه للغبار .. نتمنى لكم السلامة pic.twitter.com/Jw2CA2kkyd
— أرصاد قطر (@qatarweather) January 8, 2015
The quick onset of the sandstorm appeared to confuse some residents, following three consecutive mornings of foggy weather:
@Amr_Phoenix @dohanews @qatarliving @QatarHappening @iloveqatar @TimeOutDoha Ooh I thought it was Fog! My Bad..
— HABY हाबी ഹാബി Øابى (@habyjj) January 8, 2015
While forecasters predict clearer skies tomorrow and throughout the weekend, expect another shift in weather, as temperatures plummet.
After a relatively warm week, Steff Gaulter, senior meteorologist for Al Jazeera English, told Doha News that the thermometer could fall from 19C (66F) to as low as 14C (57F) at night.
That’s the coolest weather we’ve seen thus far during the winter.
Have the fog or dust affected your plans? Thoughts?