Baghdad International Airport Suspends Flights Due to Sandstorm

Baghdad, June 13 (QNA) - Baghdad International Airport suspended all outbound and inbound flights due to a new wave of sandstorms on Monday.
The decision came due to weather conditions and the level of visibility which reached to 400 meters, the airport's media office said in a statement.
The statement added that all incoming and outgoing aircraft will return to normal if the weather conditions improve.
Dust storms are regular occurrences in Iraq, with experts blaming the storms on climate change, lack of rainfall and desertification, because of the increasing drought with high temperatures that exceed 50 degrees Celsius for days in the summer. Increasing vegetation cover and planting dense trees that act as windbreaks are the most important solutions needed to reduce the rate of sandstorms. (QNA)