Haboob

The Haboob (Arabic هبوب Haboob, German strong wind, alternative spelling Haboob ) is a sandstorm, reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour and can stir up the sand at altitudes of up to 900 meters. Habubs come in the months of May to September in the Sahara region before.

The sandstorm takes about three hours and is accompanied in its final stages of thunderstorms. It occurs when the monsoon wind encounters dry air layers. Downdrafts of the storm front stir up huge amounts of dust and prevent the appearance of the desert landscape is greatly changed.

In the Sahara there are two types of Habubs:

• In the south, a strong and hot, which caused a real sandstorm.
• In the north of the Haboob is colder and moves less sand than the southern.

Also in the southwestern United States, there are Habubs. Here, especially in the dry regions and plains areas of Texas and Arizona.