Sandstorm engulfs Baghdad

Enveloping the capital in an eerie orange glow, a blinding sandstorm today reduced visibility in Baghdad to a few feet – slowing traffic to a crawl, canceling a key meeting on the Iraqi constitution and sending hundreds of people to the hospital with breathing problems.

Howling winds whipped up desert sands overnight, coating the streets of the city in a gritty opaque haze by early morning.