The sand storm stuck the United Arab Emirates on Friday afternoon, throwing normal life out of gear. The storm left a trail of damage with uprooted trees, damaged vehicles, upturned garbage bins and fallen hoardings and dish antennas littered in many areas across the emirates. Residents said in many places visibility was reduced to a few meters and traffic in several streets was affected as the strong winds toppled garbage bins on the roads. In Dubai and Sharjah, which also received a light drizzle, the skies were clear within two hours after the storm.