Delhi witnessed a sudden dust storm with strong winds and light rain.
- It was the result of a combination of factors including a western disturbance, easterly winds, and high temperatures that led to the formation of convective clouds and strong winds.
About Dust Storm
- Dust storms are created when strong and turbulent winds lift up particles of dust/sand to great height.
- A dust storm is associated with a thunderstorm (characterized by rain and lightning) and generally occurs in arid and semi-arid regions.
- These are frequent in northern Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and North India.
- Northwest India experiences convective dust storms, locally called “aandhi” with frequency being maximum over Rajasthan followed by Haryana, Punjab and West Uttar Pradesh.
- According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the severity and frequency of dust storms will rise due to rising global temperature.
Impact of Dust Storms
- These can trigger respiratory ailments in humans.
- Dust particles act as a carrier for infectious diseases.
- These can destroy crops, reduce visibility and ground flights.
- These transport nutrients to the oceans and affect marine biomass production.
About Western Disturbances (WD)
About Easterlies (Trade winds)
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