Freak Wind Storm Knocks Down Trees, Billboards Across Nairobi [PHOTOS & VIDEO]

Several parts of the country were on Tuesday, October 1, hit with heavy wind storms that tore various structures and trees.

The rare occurrence brought traffic to a standstill on several major roads due to poor visibility.

Several billboards were torn apart by the strong winds with reports of trees falling over in Lavington, Syokimau, Githurai, Jogoo Road, the Central Business District and Parklands area.

Residents of Kakamega, Embu and Murang'a also shared images as well as scary experiences arising from the storm.

A torn billboard following the strong dust storm that hit Nairobi, October 1, 2019

"The wind almost literally swept me off my feet and the sky is literally brown. There is a cloud of billowing dust hovering over and above us," Yvonne Wabai tweeted.

The Meteorological department stated that the natural phenomena would last for a few hours.

"The system is characterized by strong Southeasterly winds of about 15-20 Knots, updraft and downdraft winds with heavy convective rains in areas around Nairobi was due to a localized storm due to unstable atmosphere. We are monitoring it," the weatherman tweeted.

Kenya Power sent out a statement affirming that there were several power outages across the city following the strong winds.

Affected areas were identified as Upperhill, Kangemi, Waiyaki Way, Kirinyaga Road, Ngong Road, Zimmerman, Lukenya, South C,  Mombasa Road, Syokimau, Westlands, Kitisuru, Eastlands and their environs.

Several Kenyans took to various social media platforms to warn Kenyans of the poor visibility as well as the hazards posed by the flying objects as a result of the storm.

"Duststorm Warning: People with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema to stay indoors to avoid tiny particles getting deep into the lungs," Ma3route posted on their twitter page.

Here's a clip of some of the dust storm that hit various parts of the country, as well as more photos:

Aerial view of Githurai area after a heavy duststorm swept through Nairobi