Sandy in the Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is having its own "Hurricane Sandy":

Abu Dhabi and parts of Dubai were hit by a severe sandstorm today, which some were dubbing ‘Hurricane Sandy’ after the storm battering the east coast of the US...

Traffic in the capital slowed to a crawling speed as the winds knocked over rubbish bins and signage...

An NCMS official told 7DAYS that the bad weather started with a thunderstorm in the north Gulf and was moving in a south easterly direction. A spokesman for the NCMS in Dubai said that visibility was down to 700m in some parts.