Sandstorms and hail hit Middle East
In Cairo, visibility was low as an orange cloud of dust blocked out the sky and pedestrians covered their faces from the wind gusts.
A harsh weather front has brought sandstorms, hail and rain to parts of the Middle East.
In the Egyptian capital Cairo, visibility was low as an orange cloud of dust blocked out the sky and pedestrians covered their faces from the wind gusts.
In Cairo, winds reached more than 50kph (30mph), bending palm trees along the Nile River.
In Libya, rain, wind and cold weather was driving increased demand for electricity that overloaded the electricity grids and led to power outages.
Jerusalem braced for its first snowstorm in years, with police preparing to shut major roads and many local schools and universities saying they would close early.
High desert winds swept through Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, carrying sand and dust, while snow was already falling in Israel’s mountainous north, where torrential rain and hail stranded some cars and turned streets into rivers of mud.
In Gaza, fishermen returned to port and docked their boats to protect against the stormy sea.
