Error occured during this request! Please try again later.
Iraq
Vehicles drive along in the centre of Iraq's capital Baghdad during a dust storm on April 12, 2022. Photo: Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Baghdad and Najaf airports on Wednesday suspended flights in the wake of another severe dust storm in the country, state media reported on Wednesday.
Baghdad International Airport has suspended all outbound and inbound flights until further notice as visibility across the city has significantly decreased, Iraqi state media said, adding that flights will resume when the weather improves.
Flights resumed from Baghdad airport on Wednesday evening, as reported by state media.
Najaf airport soon followed the decision and announced the suspension of all flights due to terrible weather conditions.
Poor visibility conditions are a danger when aircrafts land and take off as the dust could also scour plane surfaces and damage engines.
This is the second time Iraq is swept by a dust storm this month.
Massive dust storm swept several provinces in the country earlier this month, leaving hundreds of people in hospital due to respiratory problems.
Erbil and Sulaimani airports suspended flights temporarily after the dust shrouded both cities.
Dust storms are not uncommon in Iraq but are becoming more frequent due to drought and climate change with the country recording low rainfall and rising temperatures. Iraq is among the most affected countries by climate change.
A dust storm in March left over a thousand people in the hospital in Baghdad.
Iraq's environment ministry earlier this month said that the number of dusty days in Iraq has increased from 243 to 272 days per year over the past two decades, and it is expected to reach 300 dusty days per year in 2050.
Experts believe the dust increases as a result of the worsening drought which reduces the flow of water in the Tigris and Euphrates, creating drier and dustier land more susceptible to sand storms.
Updated at 8:13 pm
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment