A massive sandstorm hit Jeddah Wednesday like a tidal wave, turning everything into an eerie orange brown color. There was zero visibility plunged as the huge mass of sand ploughed through this coastal city, causing traffic jams on most of streets including the Al-Mina Bridge, a main artery for traffic in south Jeddah. Most of the districts in Jeddah were enveloped with dust causing panic among residents who feared a repeat of the flood disaster which hit the city last year, causing widespread damage and loss of life. Hussein Al-Qahtani, the spokesman for the Meteorology and Environmental Protection Presidency attributed the sandstorm to active surface wind which kicked up dust in the northern parts of the Kingdom, including Hail, Qassim and western parts of the Kingdom - especially areas located between Makkah and Madina. Al-Qahtani said that he expects light showers to fall in the northern parts of the Kingdom. The Presidency warned all relevant bodies to take precautionary measures No major accidents were reported in the city, said Col. Muhammad Al-Qahtani, chief of the Jeddah Traffic Department. “But poor visibility slowed traffic at the Madina Road and Makkah-Jeddah Highway,” he said. Air traffic was not affected by the sandstorm, according to sources at King Abdul Aziz International Airport. The fierce sandstorm disrupted shipping at the Jeddah Islamic Port, however, said Saher Tahlawi. “We are so sorry to have halted operations at the seaport, but we had to for safety reasons,” he added. “We did not want to take risk amid the sandstorm that would pose danger to sea travel and port operations,” Tahlawi said.
