Weather Toolbar - 7 Day Weather Forecast - Weather Taskbar

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.

These storms develop as thunderstorms collapse. After the storms have released their moisture the winds they generate reverse and a downdraft blows up a wall of loose sand and dirt. These walls can be huge: reports of haboobs 60 miles wide and up to 2 miles high are not uncommon. They are pretty speedy, moving at an average maximum speed of 30mph, and can be fatal. The Arizona Department of Transportation reports that on average haboobs are responsible for around 5 deaths each year.