Severe sandstorm blankets Astana

The sandstorm blew the roof off a local secondary school destroying an area of 40 square meters, according to the department. The wind gusts reached up to 27 m/s. A tree fell near a car parked in one of the yards in the Kazakh capital. The department received hundreds of calls from Astana residents frightened by the monster sandstorm and clouds of yellow dust in the air. According to Kazhydromet, Kazakhstan's national forecaster, occasional rains, hail and strong wind are expected in northern, central and eastern Kazakhstan this weekend.