Reports: High winds cause construction materials to fall from buildings in West Bay

UPDATE: 4pm

Reports continue to pour in from Twitter and Facebook about the hazards the winds have caused.

@dohanews trees are falling due to strong winds on Al Bidda Street #Qatar twitter.com/iamrizk/status…

— Ihab (@iamrizk) July 5, 2012

On Facebook, Shahir Aboobacker said:

i saw an ATM room’s glass broken and crushed to tiny pieces coz the wind.

Have you been out today?

What are you seeing?

UPDATE | 3.40pm

The Ministry of Interior is advising people to stay indoors due to the high winds and low visibility, conditions that are causing numerous car accidents across Qatar.

Reader Arianna sent us these photos of a pileup in Umm Qarn toward Al Shamal Road, where the MOI acknowledged putting a fire out about an hour ago.

Earlier today, the MOI temporarily closed the Doha to Al Khor highway, sparking concerns about how people would return home from work.

UPDATE | 2.30pm

High winds have caused damage to buildings in West Bay today. Construction material has fallen off at least two buildings, causing a hazard to cars and pedestrians.

The picture above is of the Qatar Olympic Building. We are told that one piece of cladding fell off the building and pierced the front windscreen of a vehicle, as seen below. Police attended the incident, and thankfully no injuries have been reported.

Amad sent us the picture below, saying:

“Wind rips off an exterior (heavy, large) piece off near-finished high-rise in West Bay. Thankfully no people or cars on ground.”

DohaDude commented:

“I live next to this site and heard it crash into my building around 8am. Entire building shook. Workers looked confused.”