Middle East sandstorm alert — live dust levels
From shamal winds over Iraq and Kuwait to the khamsin in Egypt, dust is part of the region's weather. This page shows the highest dust concentration currently observed among each country's cities and its risk level — open a country for the per-city detail.
Dust risk scale
| Dust (µg/m³) | Level | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| < 50 | Low | Relatively clear air; no meaningful impact on visibility. |
| 50–150 | Moderate | Light suspended dust; sensitive and asthmatic people may notice it. |
| 150–500 | High | Dense dust reducing visibility; limit outdoor activity. |
| ≥ 500 | Severe | Sand/dust storm conditions; very low visibility, hazardous driving. |
Why track dust?
Sandstorms cut visibility to metres, disrupt flights and sharply worsen asthma and allergy symptoms. Watching surface dust concentrations gives an early warning before the dust front arrives.
Data comes from Open-Meteo's global air-quality model (mineral dust and PM10), read per city; the worst level among each country's cities is shown here.