Faisaliya Tower, the capital's landmark, fades into the background as a brief but powerful sandstorm accompanied by strong winds hit Riyadh and the Eastern Province Monday afternoon. The sandstorm that started at around 1.30 P.M. lasted about two hours causing inconvenience to motorists and schoolchildren. Traffic on main thoroughfares moved at a snail's pace due to clouds of dust. Muhammad Babidhan, a Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) official, said visibility was reduced to 300 meters. A very cold mass of northwesterly wind hit Riyadh Monday causing the day temperature to fall abruptly, he said. “The cold air will continue till Tuesday morning with the minimum temperature falling to 2° Celsius,” said Babidhan. He said the cold weather in Riyadh and its suburbs and in the Eastern Province will continue for the next three days. The temperature will, however, rise from freezing to 6° Celsius Thursday and Friday, he added. (SG photo by Shahid Ali Khan) __
