Very strong winds originating in thunderstorms topped 75mph kicking up enormous dust cloudsAn intense dust storm swept across north India last week,owing to a surplus of moisture over the Bay of Bengal in the east colliding with destructive winds carrying dust from the west. India is no stranger to dust storms but this one was made worse by the exceptionally strong winds, known as downbursts, and which developed within a cluster of thunderstorms. This occurred as falling precipitation evaporated before it reached the ground and subsequently cooled the surrounding air. This cooler air then blew radially and intensely towards the ground,produced powerful straight-line winds, and kicked large amounts of dust up from the surface, or with speeds of more than 75mph recorded. Related: 'Freak' dust storms in northern India assassinate more than 100 people Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com