Cyprus-Forum.com

by **Sotos** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:28 pm

Nicosia - Cyprus has been engulfed in an unusually severe sandstorm on Saturday, sending people to hospital with breathing problems.

Flights from the Mediterranean holiday island have also been cancelled.

A thick blanket of gritty dust settled over the Cyprian capital of Nicosia, blotting out the sun and giving the city a beige tinge from sand brought in gusts from the African Sahara.

Three departing flights from the western region of Paphos were cancelled on Saturday because of the storm.

Several people have been hospitalised with respiritory problems.

The Cyprian met office expects the dust to start clearing by Sunday.

It was very strange today! You could look at the sun directly and it looked like a full moon :shock:

Probably it will be like this tomorrow also.

by **Kenneth** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 1:03 am

hopefully not ! how often does this happen ?

by **Sotos** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 1:23 am

Once every couple of years. But it is almost certain that the dust will still be here tomorrow.

by **djtrax98** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 2:14 am

I remember as a kiddie winky in Cy there used to be freak sandstorms every summer. Sahara winds would sweep across the island, trap the heat in pushing up the temperature and it would look exactly as it did today. After the storm finished there would a be a FAT layer of red sahara sand covering everything in sight!
I havent seen that phenomenon in many years in Cyprus probably cos of El Nino.
So it was strange today waking up and seeing that out of the bedroom window, i cant recall in my living memory the last time i have seen something like that in FEBRUARY.
man will be the end of this planet, we are shaping our atmospheric conditions in ways that we really shouldnt be.

by **TheCabbie** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 3:05 am

I've seen several of these sand storms over the years but this one was the worst insofar as it seemed to coverthe whole island. As djtrax98 says, it's very unusual to see them in February.

Good news for the car wash guys though!