haboob
1
9.9
- noun
- /həˈbuːb/
- UK
:
haboob
- The haboob hit the city with such force that it reduced visibility to nearly zero.
- haboob dust storm
Examples
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The forecast warned of a haboob approaching, prompting residents to stay indoors.
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During the summer, a haboob rolled in, enveloping the landscape in a thick cloud of dust.
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Atmospheric models suggest that haboobs (i.e., dust storms) contribute up to 30% of the regional scale (1,000 x 1,000 km) total dust production in the southeastern Arabian Peninsula (Miller et al. 2008).
Academic text (2012)
Synonyms
18
2.2
Strong wind that lifts dust and sand into the air and makes it hard to see
10
7.4
A strong wind that lifts and carries dust or sand
1
9.9
A dry, dusty wind from the Sahara that blows over West Africa in winter
1
9.9
A very strong hot wind that blows sand across deserts
A hot dry dusty wind from the Sahara that blows across Egypt in spring
A hot dry wind from the Sahara that blows across North Africa
A very hot dry wind full of dust that blows across deserts and can make breathing hard
How Severe
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word haboob comes from the Arabic habūb, which means 'blowing' and was used for sudden winds that carry dust in deserts. So a haboob is a strong wind full of dust that can quickly make it hard to see.