by the Lord Mayor of Brisbane at the time, Sallyanne Atkinson. Sand and dust storms are natural events that occur in arid regions where the land is not protected by a covering of vegetation. Dust storms usually start in desert margins rather than the deserts themselves where the finer materials have already been blown away. As a steady wind begins to blow, fine particles lying on the exposed ground begin to vibrate. At greater wind speeds, some particles are lifted into the air stream. When they land, they strike other particles which may be jerked into the air in their turn, starting a chain reaction. However, in Thailand, urbanization has also resulted in massive increases in problems such as obesity. Thunderstorms are rare, as the city reports thunder