Cairo, Egypt turns bizarre orange color after huge sandstorm
A sandstorm turned Cairo, Egypt orange. Winds reached over 30mph.
Cairo was turned orange on Wednesday as a massive sandstorm blanketed the city in a cloud of dust.
Winds reached over 30 mph in the sprawling Egyptian capital, bending palm trees along the Nile River. Pedestrians covered their faces from the wind gusts as the dust cloud blocked out the sky and reduced visibility.
Sandstorms are common in the region in late winter and early spring and Egypt's Meteorological Commission urged caution but did not advise anyone to change their daily routines.
MASSIVE DUST STORM TURNS ENTIRE TOWN ORANGE
“Don’t wear white,” quipped Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram in a headline about the sandstorm.
Pedestrians cross a bridge during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019 as a thick sandstorm cloaked parts of the Middle East. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Images of the city’s strange orange hue generated plenty of buzz on social media.
Similar weather phenomena in other parts of the world have also grabbed attention. Last year, a huge dust storm turned a town in the Australian outback orange. Charleville in southwestern Queensland was covered in the eerie orange dust, according to the BBC.
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Huge dust storms are not uncommon in Australia. In 2013, for example, a remarkable red dust storm hit the west of Australia.
The Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
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