The mayor of Tobruk, Faraj Boualkhatabia, declared a state of emergency in the city and surrounding areas, announcing an immediate official holiday for all sectors and banks today, Wednesday, and tomorrow, Thursday, in response to the dust storm and severe weather conditions affecting the region.

The decision came following an emergency meeting held at the Al-Butnan Security Directorate, attended by the mayor, the security director, and members of the emergency committee, to address the repercussions of the thick dust, zero visibility, and mobility difficulties, which have directly impacted daily life.

The municipality reported that the state of emergency covers the area stretching from Musaid in the east to Ain al-Ghazala in the west, extending to Jaghbub in the south, due to the severe weather conditions. The relevant authorities and members of the Emergency Committee have been instructed to raise the alert level to the highest degree to address any emergency developments.

Tobruk Municipality called on citizens to exercise caution and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary, given the unstable weather conditions.

Warnings about the effects of the dust storm

In the same context, the Libyan Red Crescent warned of the effects of the low-pressure system coming from southern Italy, accompanied by significant wind activity reaching speeds of 60 kilometers per hour, in addition to scattered rain over several areas.

It noted that the city of Tobruk is being affected by strong winds, while the Tripoli coast and its surroundings, along with the Benghazi coast and the Green Mountain region, are experiencing rainfall starting Wednesday evening and continuing into Thursday morning, with a chance of hail.

For its part, the Central Office of the Libyan Red Crescent called on citizens to adhere to safety measures and exercise caution while traveling, especially on highways and in mountainous and low-lying areas, to avoid crossing roads with standing water, and to stay away from flood channels and valleys, while emphasizing the need to follow official bulletins issued by the relevant authorities.

It also confirmed that it has raised the alert level across all branches and emergency and response teams to monitor weather developments and intervene immediately in the event of any humanitarian or emergency situations.