A dust storm over the Middle East in late April 2022 was triggered by thunderstorms that also brought hail and flash floods. The dust turned skies yellow, reduced visibility, disrupted aviation, and degraded air quality.
In Israel, the Environmental Protection Ministry and Health Ministry warned people with health risks, such as heart and lung ailments, to stay inside. In Jordan, low-visibility conditions caused by gusting winds carrying dust and sand disrupted aviation. Heavy thunder and hail showers and flash flooding also prompted emergency alerts. In Saudi Arabia, large hail and thunderstorms caused flash flooding.
The dust is visible drifting over the eastern Mediterranean in this image, acquired on April 24 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite.
The storm arose due to a Red Sea depression. Also called a Red Sea low, this weather system brings a hot air mass from the Arabian Peninsula, increasing atmospheric instability that triggers thunderstorms and dust storms, usually during the spring and autumn. In Jordan, most spring dust storms occur in April and form when strong winds blowing over dry, desert soils in eastern and southern Jordan become hotter and drier, lofting sand and dust.
According to a World Bank report on sand and dust storms, land-use changes in the past few decades have increased the number of dust sources in the Middle East, although most are still largely natural sources like deserts and dry river beds.
References & Resources
- Arab News (2022, April 24) Warnings issued, aviation disruption in Jordan after sandstorm. Accessed April 29, 2022.
- Ghanem, A., & Khalil, Y. (2021) A Study of Synoptic Conditions Associated with Spring Dust Storms in Jordan. Dirasat: Human and Social Sciences, 48(2).
- MENAFN-Jordan News Agency (2022, April 24) Gov't announces 'medium-level' emergency over weather developments. Accessed April 29, 2022.
- Middle East Institute (2022, March 14) Severe sand and dust storms are an underrated risk in the Gulf region, despite mitigation measures. Accessed April 29, 2022.
- The Jerusalem Post (2022, April 24) High concentration of dust in the air leads to warning of air pollution risks. Accessed April 29, 2022.
- The World Bank (2019) Sand and Dust Storms in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) Region. Accessed April 29, 2022.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview . Story by Sara E. Pratt .
