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Iraq + 1 more

Iraq and Kuwait - Sandstorm (CatNat, media, NOAA-CPC) (ECHO Daily Flash of 16 April 2025)

  • A severe sandstorm hit central and southern Iraq as well as Kuwait on April 14, causing airport closures in Najaf and Basra, Iraq.
  • According to CatNat and as of 14 April, over 2 751 people were treated for respiratory issues in Iraq. A state of emergency was declared in Thi Qar governorate, Iraq, where hospitals saw a surge in suffocation cases. The storm also affected Kuwait, with reports of low blood pressure in some areas.
  • Over the next 24 hours, no rainfall is forecast for Kuwait or the south of Iraq.