On the International Day to Combat Sandstorms, the most important information and facts about sandstorms

Weather of Arabia - Sandstorms are considered one of the most harmful and terrifying weather phenomena, especially when they are severe and turn the day into a dark night, apart from the chaos they cause in various parts of the world from China to Africa, the Sahara Desert and other areas exposed to them.

Sand and dust storms represent a widespread challenge to efforts to achieve sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental dimensions.

These storms have become a global concern in recent decades due to their significant impacts on the environment, health, agriculture, livelihoods, and social and economic well-being. Sand and dust storms are an essential component of Earth's natural biochemical cycles, but they are also partly caused by human-caused drivers, including climate change, unsustainable land management, and water waste.

Therefore, sand and dust storms contribute to climate change and air pollution. The effects of sand and dust storms are felt in all countries of the world, both developed and developing. They also pose challenges to efforts to achieve 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 2, 3, 6, 8, 11, 13 and 15, as well as the means of their implementation.

International Day Against Sand and Dust Storms:

Realizing that the negative effects of sand and dust storms on various levels are issues of international concern, the United Nations General Assembly declared July 12 as the International Day to Combat Sand and Dust Storms.

Furthermore, the General Assembly emphasized the need for global and regional cooperation to prevent, deal with and mitigate sand and dust storms by improving early warning systems and sharing climate and weather information to forecast sand and dust storms with seasonal and sub-seasonal analysis and long-term climate change projections based on relevant parameters . It also emphasized that robust actions taken to control and reduce sand and dust storms require an improved understanding of the severe multidimensional impacts of these storms, including deterioration of people's health, well-being and livelihoods, increased desertification, land degradation, deforestation, loss of biodiversity and land productivity, threat to food security, and the impact of such storms on sustainable economic growth.

What are sand storms?

It is a concept called the phenomenon of the rise of a large amount of dust in a specific geographical area due to the great influence of the wind force, and its height can reach very high levels that may reach about 5-6 kilometers, in addition to the sandstorms covering geographical areas that extend for hundreds of kilometers.

Sand storms abound in desert and arid areas with little vegetation cover, which makes the soil loose and the wind becomes able to carry it. Perhaps the most active regions of the world with sand storms are the Greater African Desert, where the African Sahara is considered the largest source of dust in the world, followed by the Badia of western Iraq, the Syrian Badia and northern Saudi Arabia.

What is the difference between sand storms and dust storms?

Sandstorm

The term sandstorm is used most often when talking about desert sandstorms, especially in the Sahara desert and the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, or places where sandy education is prevalent, so that the wind carries a large amount of sand particles that fly near the surface, in addition to fine particles suspended in the air that obscures vision.

Dust storm

The term dust storm is used when fine particles fly over long distances and affect urban areas

What are the factors that lead to the occurrence of sand storms?

cold fronts

The passage of cold air fronts over the desert areas near them leads to active and strong winds at times, and the nature of the air accompanying that air system, which is characterized by its heavy weight, contributes as it collides with the earth’s surface with force, causing dust particles of different sizes to fly, causing sand storms.

Thermal depressions (spring)

In the spring, there are thermal depressions called the Khamseen depressions, which arise in the western desert of the Sahara Desert, west of the Atlas Mountains, and these depressions move towards the rest of the countries of North Africa, all the way to the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula, and contribute to active winds that cause sand storms that move with them from one country to another. .

Differences in atmospheric pressure values

The occurrence of differences in atmospheric pressure values, especially in the summer, between thermal depressions over the Arabian Peninsula and air elevations over the Mediterranean Sea and North Asia, with brisk northwesterly winds blowing, accompanied by strong gusts, leads to sparking sand storms, and this is one of the most common causes of dust in the Arabian Peninsula .

Thunderstorms and their downward winds

Thunderstorms contribute to the emergence of ascending air currents inside them, but when the ascending air cools, its weight becomes heavy and it cannot stay inside the clouds, so it hits the surface of the earth hard and in straight lines, causing sand storms that may be huge surrounding thunderstorms.

Read also: The impact of sand and dust storms on the weather

How does the Arab weather contribute to facing dust storms?

In light of the international efforts to reduce the negative effects of weather extremes, including the increase in the incidence of sandstorms, the experts of the Arab Regional Weather Forecasting Center developed an early warning system based on artificial intelligence concerned with dust storms or dust in general, and this advanced system can be used by knowing the start date And the end of dust waves and the expected level of horizontal visibility, in addition to providing exclusive computer maps to simulate the movement of dust and special recommendations for dealing with dust waves for each sector.

Dust alarm .. All you need to make decisions to manage and protect your property

Important tips to avoid health risks resulting from dust waves and sandstorms:

• Stay indoors as much as possible and close windows and doors.
• Wear a face mask and cover the skin and eyes in case you have to go out, and change clothes when you return home.
• Avoid direct exposure to dust and dirt, especially for the elderly, patients with asthma, or those with chest diseases, and those who have recently undergone eye and nose surgeries.
• Avoid rubbing the eyes so as not to be exposed to infections.
• Washing the face, nose and mouth frequently to prevent dust from entering the lungs.
• Avoid prolonged or strenuous effort in areas with a high rate of dust pollution, in order to avoid inhaling larger quantities of dust.
• Use air purifiers indoors.
• Refer to the nearest health center when allergy symptoms appear, such as: watery eyes, coughing, asthma attacks, and a wheezing sound when breathing.
• Refer to the emergency department as soon as acute breathing problems and difficulties appear.
• Make sure to follow the weather bulletins constantly.