Dry soil and lack of rain cause the largest sandstorm in years in Iraq, coinciding with the rush of dry Siberian winds

Arab Weather - An exceptional sandstorm formed this afternoon, Saturday, to the east of Syria and northern Iraq, covering large areas of the region, as a result of the rush of cold and dry westerly winds, accompanied by an extension of the Siberian high, which began to affect the region during the day on Saturday.

Several factors helped form the sandstorm.

Weather forecasters at "Arab Weather" said that several factors and weather conditions helped form the sandstorm in Iraq, including the following:

• Dry soil due to lack of rain
• Northwest wind activity
• The weight of cold air density and its ability to carry dust and dirt
• Temperature differences between the north and south of the Arabian Peninsula

Continuing to monitor the sandstorm, the latest satellite images from "Arab Weather", which track the movement of dust and sandstorms, indicate that it continues to affect large parts of Iraq, extending from the northern regions to the central regions, including the capital, Baghdad, with a clear decline in horizontal visibility, reaching the point of non-existence in some areas, as data from Baghdad International Airport indicates that the visibility does not exceed 200 meters at this time.

The latest weather data indicates that the sandstorm will continue to swell and move towards the southeast, where it is expected to affect the southern provinces of Iraq and reach the State of Kuwait and northeastern Saudi Arabia during this night and the coming hours.