From PBS NewsHour.

An enormous dust storm, known as a haboob, enveloped the Phoenix metro area Monday.

A haboob occurs when air is forced down and forward by a thunderstorm as it travels through a hot, dry area. Derived from the Arabic word ‘haab,’ which means wind, or blow, haboobs typically occur during the North American Monsoon Season, which runs from July through September.

Monday’s dust storm and subsequent heavy rains grounded flights at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport, reduced visibility on roads to near-zero and knocked out power for more than 15,000 people.

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