A massive wall of dust swept throughout metro Phoenix, Arizona plunged town into close to-darkness, pressured energy cuts and halted flights on the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, on Monday. The storm — a haboob, triggered by collapsing thunderstorms and fierce winds, left about 39,000 residents with out electrical energy, largely in Maricopa County, officers stated. Visibility dropped to only a quarter-mile, sending motorists scrambling through blinding winds and heavy rain.More than 2 million folks in and round Phoenix had been beneath a dust storm warning Monday afternoon, because the National Weather Service cautioned of plunging visibility and winds topping 50 mph. By round 7 pm native time, the dust cloud had moved north over Black Canyon City, earlier than the warning was lifted later within the night.
Arizona dust storm (Pic credit score: AP)
Many residents shared video of the enormous dust storm. Online customers reacted to the uncommon scene as a set from Hollywood. “This is literally a scene from The Mummy,” one user posted, sharing a video of the towering wall of dust rolling across the desert.Forecasters warned of more monsoon-linked disruptions. “That’s typical for a monsoon, very hit and miss,” said Mark O’Malley, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Phoenix, unusually dry this season, faces a 40% chance of rain on Tuesday, according to forecasts. The state’s transport department, meanwhile, issued a stark warning to drivers on X: “Don’t drive into a dust storm. If you’re on the road when one hits, PULL ASIDE, STAY ALIVE!”