Dust storm engulfs Mityana town

May 06, 2009

WORK in Mityana came to a standstill on Tuesday afternoon when a vicious storm engulfed the town, plunging the streets into darkness.<br>

By Luke Kagiri

WORK in Mityana came to a standstill on Tuesday afternoon when a vicious storm engulfed the town, plunging the streets into darkness.

The freak whirlwind started at 1:00pm on Kampala Road, sweeping up the dust which formed a black cloud, blocking all day light.

Motorists were forced to park their vehicles and several ran to nearby buildings to safety. The streets were emptied as people scampered for shelter.

The storm, which lasted about 25 minutes, was followed by a heavy downpour. Nobody was hurt although some property, including merchandise in shops and markets, was damaged.

Elders observed that this was the strongest wind they remembered in the town. Mityana’s suburbs reported milder storms, which nevertheless destroyed semi-permanent structures, mainly market stalls.

The district environment officer, Yasin Bbira, said storms like these usually occur in areas without wind breakers.

“The rate of deforestation here is high. The wind started in the villages and raged on because there were no trees to stop it.

Unless more trees are planted, the district may face more problems in the future,” he said.

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