Dust storms slam northern Pakistan by Sean Batty
Late on Friday evening a strong dust storm and thunderstorms hit the northern Pakistan city of Lahore, injuring seven people.
The storm ripped down billboards and uprooted trees as winds in excess of 60mph tore through the city. Thousands were left without electricity after power lines were brought down in the high winds.
Farmers were most affected by the storms as they were in the process of harvesting the paddy fields and had been piling the grains in the fields, which have now been scattered.
For some though, the stormy weather came as somewhat of a relief from the dry stifling heat the city has endured over the last week or so. The thunderstorms that followed the dust storm only brought around half and inch to an inch of rain to most areas, but it was enough to make the grass and trees turn a bit greener.
The Indian Meteorological Department, based in Chandigarh said that the rough weather was triggered by an area of low pressure developing over Afghanistan to the northwest and a cold front drifting southeast across Pakistan. Its unusual for this synoptic setup at this time of year, but low pressure can form here at any time of the year.
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