Haboob

[2][3][4] When this downdraft of cold air, or downburst, reaches the ground, it sweeps up dry, loose silt and clay (referred to collectively as dust) from the desert, forming a wall of airborne sediment that precedes the storm cloud.

During their peak intensity, haboob winds can reach speeds of 35–100 km/h (22–62 mph) and may approach suddenly with minimal warning.

In some instances, persistent rain may carry a significant amount of dust, leading to what is termed as mud storms in severe cases.

[5] Haboobs have been observed in the Sahara, Sahel (typically Sudan, where they were named and described), as well as across the Arabian Peninsula, throughout Kuwait, and in the most arid regions of Iraq.

[6] Haboob winds in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Kuwait are frequently created by the collapse of a thunderstorm.

African haboobs result from the northward summer shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone into North Africa, bringing moisture from the Gulf of Guinea.