On the night of April 13-14, a severe dust storm swept across all regions of Turkmenistan, covering most of the country and becoming the strongest of the year.
The MeteoJournal (Russia) notes that wind speeds in some areas exceeded the storm wind criteria.
"In Dashoguz, the gusts were 23 m/s - with visibility of only 200 metres. Winds of such strength can cause damage to residential and farm buildings and infrastructure facilities."
The passage of the cyclone brought large quantities of dust from the Arabian Peninsula region and the deserts of West Asia, the information reported.
Local experts told Daryo that more than 80 per cent of the populations of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Iran are exposed to medium to high levels of poor air quality due to sand and dust storms.
Dust deposition with high salt content also affects a significant portion of agricultural land in these countries. This reduces their yields, posing a significant threat to the production of irrigated cotton and other crops.
Credits: Eziz Boyarov, Ashgabat
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