A dust storm triggered by Cyclone XIMENA has swept across the Kyiv region (VIDEO)
27 April 18:51
Eyewitnesses filmed a video of a dust storm near Pereyaslav in the Kyiv region specifically for "Komersant Ukrainian" today.
The video clearly shows how, around the production facilities of the Nibulon company, gusty winds are whipping up huge clouds of dry soil from recently plowed fields.
Today, April 27, visibility on the region’s roads has also significantly decreased, with fine dust detected in the air. Drivers are urged to exercise extreme caution, as wind gusts are reaching 20–25 m/s.
Experts traditionally cite the lack of sufficient rainfall and large-scale plowing of land as key factors that turn soil into airborne dust—Ukraine has one of the highest rates of land plowing in the world.
On Sunday, April 26, residents of Ukraine’s southern regions also reported a powerful dust storm. In particular, in the Odesa region.
The sudden change in weather in Ukraine was brought by the active cyclone XIMENA. While western regions suffered from wet snow, hail, and squalls—which led to fallen trees and power outages in hundreds of settlements—the South and Center were hit by strong winds without significant precipitation, which caused the dust storms.
How long will the bad weather last?
According to the forecast by the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, on April 27, gusts of northwesterly wind reaching 15–20 m/s were still expected across Ukraine, except in the western regions.
At the same time, April 27–29 will be mostly dry, with only light rain possible in some areas of the north and northeast, and wet snow in some places on April 27.
Forecasters also warned of frost: at night, the air temperature may drop to 0–3° below freezing, and in the south and southeast, the ground temperature may drop to 0–5° below freezing. This poses additional risks to orchards, berry fields, and early vegetable crops.
