haboob

thumb|right|A haboob moves across the Llano Estacado toward [[Yellow House Canyon, near the residential community of Ransom Canyon, Texas (2009)]]

A haboob () is an intense dust storm generated by strong winds from weather fronts or the downdrafts of thunderstorms. These storms occur in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide, including the Middle East, North Africa, Australia, and North America, and have also been observed on Mars and Titan. A haboob typically forms when cold air from a thunderstorm rushes downward, causing high winds at the surface which lift dust into the air. Haboobs can be up to high, advancing up to , and can last as long as 6 hours. Haboobs can occasionally span distances as long as .