Auroras (Polar Lights; or aurorae, sing.: aurora) are natural different colored light displays, which are usually observed in the night sky, particularly in the polar zone. Some scientists therefore call them "polar auroras" (or "aurorae polaris").

Derived from the Arabian word for wind, habb, a haboob is a type of sandstorm that occurs in the Sahara, across the Arabian peninsula and in Arizona. Haboobs are relatively common in areas such as Khartoum, which suffers an average of two a month. They are more common through the summer months, peaking around June.