Strong Winds and Dust Weather Hit Central Asia and the Iranian Plateau

Influenced by a low vortex (Figure 1), it is expected that over the next three days, Central Asia and the Iranian Plateau will experience winds of force 5 to 6 with gusts of force 7 to 9 (Figure 2). Blowing sand or sandstorms, with localized severe sandstorms, will hit central and eastern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, eastern Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northwestern India. Meanwhile, moderate to heavy rain is forecast for northwestern Kazakhstan, where localized areas will also be accompanied by severe convective weather such as short-term intense rainfall and thunderstorm gales. Attention should be paid to the impacts of the sand and dust weather on transportation and human health, while northwestern Kazakhstan should guard against potential secondary disasters triggered by localized heavy downpours and the hazards of localized severe convective weather.

Figure 1: Forecast of 500 hPa Geopotential Height (contours, units: dagpm) and 850 hPa Wind Field (barbs, units: m/s) at 20:00 BJT on June 3, 2026

Figure 2: Maximum Wind Gust Forecast for 08:00 BJT on June 4, 2026 (Shaded, Unit: m/s)

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Author: Lian Zhihua                                 Reviewer: Zhang Bo 

English reviewer:Wang Yi                                                                       Issue approver:Dai Kan