A very strong dust storm lashed Lahore and other parts of Punjab on Saturday.
According to 24NewsHD TV, strong winds brought the temperature down in the Punjab capital. In addition, dust storm wreaked havoc in the city as big signboards fell, trees were uprooted and solar panels crashed to the ground. The storm also hit the power supply system and many parts of the city plunged into darkness caused by the thick clouds and the dusty air.
At Shanu Baba Chowk in Lahore, the storm uprooted electric poles and blew away signboards.
On the Main Boulevard in Lahore’s Gulberg neighbourhood, strong winds uprooted a date tree. Another tree was uprooted at Bohar Wala Chowk near the Lahore Railway Station. Yet another tree was uprooted by the strong winds near Doctors Hospital.
A big signboard fell at Gulzar Bridge near the Punjab University New Campus. An old tree was uprooted near Munir Chowk in the Cantonment area.
At the Gadhafi Stadium, tiles fell from the old building during the storm. Strong winds also blew away security barriers.
A light rain followed the dust storm in Lahore. Injuries to people were also reported at some places in Lahore and other cities in storm-related incidents.
The dust storm also wreaked havoc on the Lahore suburbs like Muridke and Sheikhupura.
Motorways Closed
The dust storm forced the authorities to close the motorways at many points. The M2 Motorway was closed from Thoker Niaz Beg to Kot Momin and the M3 Motorway was closed from Faizpur to Durkhana. However, these motorways were opened for traffic as soon as visibility improved.