Iraq Dust Storms

• In the last six weeks, around eight dust storms hit Iraq. NASA’s satellites captured the images of skies turning orange.

•  These dust storms reduce visibility, increase the risk of accidents, give rise to respiratory problems, and severely disrupt lives.

• The dust storms are driven by northwesterly winds, also known as Shamal. 

• These winds lift the dust from the Tigris-Euphrates basin of Syria and Iraq and transport it to the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula. Dust storms strike West Asia every summer and winter. 

• However, in recent years, the intensity and frequency of dust storms have increased.