Dust storm
Also called: Sandstorm, Duststorm · Topic: Air Masses, Fronts, Cyclones and Thunderstorms · NCERT: Class 9, Ch 2 "Shaping of the Earth's Surface"; Class 11, Ch 9 "Atmospheric Circulation and Weather Systems"
Meaning
A dust storm is a storm in which strong winds lift large amounts of dust and sand into the air. Visibility drops sharply and the air becomes hard to breathe. It often forms from a thunderstorm that has too little moisture. Such a storm brings strong winds and downdrafts (air rushing down) but little rain, so the winds pick up the loose, dry soil. Dust storms are common in dry, hot regions before the monsoon. They can damage crops, houses and power lines, and they can kill people.
Example
The pre-monsoon andhis of Rajasthan and north-west India are dust storms. In May 2018, dust storms in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh caused many deaths.
Don't confuse with
- Loo: a hot, dry wind that blows steadily on summer afternoons in north India. It is not a storm.
- Nor'westers: pre-monsoon thunderstorms of east India that bring rain and hail, not mainly dust.