Children and office workers stayed indoors, while vehicles were kept off roads as a thick orange haze shrouded the capital from early morning.
Several domestic and international flights were cancelled after the meteorological department issued a pre-dawn advisory, an official at Khartoum International Airport said.
“From 3am, no flight has landed or taken off from Khartoum airport,” Mohamed Mahdi, Khartoum airport spokesman, said.
“Because of the bad weather we expect the airport to remain shut until further notice,” he added.
Two flights operated by private Sudanese airlines and coming from Cairo and Kuwait City had been diverted to Port Sudan, he said.
Sandstorms frequently occur in the East African country, especially Khartoum, but they usually blow over in a couple of hours.
However, Thursday’s storm is expected to last longer, according to the meteorological advisory, and residents who attempted to venture out complained of low visibility.
These storms usually follow days of rising temperatures, transforming entire cities and towns within hours by shrouding them under a thick layer of sand.
Experts warn that Sudan and the region will experience more such storms as climate changes drive temperatures up and destroy fertile soil.