ISLAMABAD, May 25: A dust storm having a speed as high as 90 kilometres per hour disrupted the routine of residents of the twin cities on Friday evening.

However, the storm was followed by drizzle that made the weather pleasant.

Once the heavy winds started blowing, dust particles in the air reduced visibility. The speed of the storm was reportedly so fast that traffic at some points literally came to a halt. Motorbike riders had to hide under the bridges or besides the buildings to save them from dust.

Shahid Nazir who was sitting at a kiosk in Sector G-7 said the heavy wind made the chairs and tables roll and land on the nearby road. The owner of the kiosk had to stop serving customers to shift his furniture items back.

He said, “I had to wash my head and hair as they were all filled with dust. Even the dust entered my boots.”

Another citizen Maqbool Ahmed said, “I was driving a car at that time and I felt that my car will start rolling. So, I decided to park it near a building, fearing that in case a tree is uprooted it may damage the vehicle.”

Mohammad Naeem said he was in Rawalpindi when the storm started. “As there are congested buildings in the city, the situation was much better there, however, on the roads and open areas wind blew real fast,” he said.

Later, as it started drizzling, a large number of people came out of their houses and went to the parks and other public places to enjoy the lovely weather.Pakistan Metrological Department official Shah Nawaz while talking to Dawn said the speed of the storm in Rawalpindi was 90 kilometres per hour and in Islamabad it was 70 kilometres per hour.

“Wind blowing with such high speed can damage the shades of the houses, signboards and trees but so far we haven’t received even a single report regarding any physical or financial loss,” he said. Predicting weather conditions, he said the twin cities may receive some shower by Saturday evening.