A huge and unexpected sandstorm engulfed Eilat, shutting down the airport on May 18, 2017.
The main roads leading into Red Sea resort also closed due to thick cloud of orange sand.
Poor visibility caused by a massive and unexpected sandstorm on May 18, 2017 prompted authorities in Eilat to close both the airport and two main highways in and out of the southern city on the Red Sea.
Route 90, which connects Eilat to the rest of the country was shut in both directions from the Arava junction. Route 12, to the west, was also closed.
The Environment Ministry asked children, the elderly, the ill, and pregnant women, to stay inside their homes, while others should not take part in strenuous physical activities outside.
Sandstorms often accompany hot winds blowing in from the Sinai desert.
In March, a Tel Aviv-bound flight from Vienna was forced to return to Austria as a result of a heavy sandstorm blanketing Israel.