A heavy sand storm has hit many parts of the Middle East. Much of Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus in clouds of dust. At least eight people have died as a result of the storm. <br /><br /> Hundreds more have been hospitalised with breathing issues. People were warned to stay indoors. <br /><br /> “We are suffering a lot, in an abnormal way,” said a man. “We are taking precautions as best we can by wearing masks, facing the garbage everywhere and traffic jams. It is not normal.”<br /><br /> In Syria, fighting and airstrikes were disrupted as a thick blanket of dust filled the sky. <br /><br /> Summer dust storms are frequent across the Middle East but usually focus on Iraq and the Persian Gulf region where clouds of sand are whipped up from arid areas. <br /><br /> Israeli schools were instructed to keep physical activities indoors as the dust swept across the Middle East.<br /><br /> The dust was expected to start dissipating by Thursday. The elderly, young and pregnant have been warned not to exert themselves outside in the meantime.
