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Strange Weather Phenomena: The Haboob

Strange Weather Phenomena: The Haboob

July 16, 20141406Views1Comment

It’s looking more and more like an El Nino system is on the horizon, with many climatologists predicting a 70-80 percent chance of development by late autumn, which means strange weather phenomena will soon be out in full force. Heavy precipitation and unseasonally warm air and water temperatures are often benchmarks of an El Nino system, but extreme drought can also ravage areas that are particularly arid, invariably leading to one of the strangest weather phenomena of all: the haboob.

A haboob is a severe dust storm that moves across vast regions of dry, dusty land, carried by an atmospheric force called a gravity current. They occur regularly even without weather systems like El Nino in the Sahara Desert, North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Australia, and the southwestern portion of the US. Virtually any arid region can experience a haboob.

Strong, cold, winds called downbursts are responsible for the initial formation of a haboob, which come from a thunderstorm dissipating into rain. The downbursts blow loose, dry dust high into the air, creating a wall of dust that can span tens of miles wide and several miles high. Sometimes the rain immediately evaporates as soon as it touches the hot air below, further cooling the winds, which increases speed. Depending on the level of rain evaporation, a haboob can reach speeds of up to roughly 60 miles an hour! Cities are swallowed whole, and while there’s no real danger of anyone losing their home or their life during a haboob, it is recommended that you stay inside if possible or have adequate protection for your eyes, nose, and mouth if you can’t get to shelter.

Check out this amazing timelapse of a haboob consuming Phoenix, Arizona, and just imagine what it must be like inside!

Featured Image from Matthieu Joannon/Unsplash