APThis photo provided by the City of Phoenix shows a towering cloud of dust at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (City of Phoenix via AP) Thousands of people were left without power, and several flights were grounded at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after a towering wall of dust swept through metro Phoenix on Monday (August 25, 2025), accompanied by storms. About 39,000 people were without power in Arizona, most of whom were in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, news agency AP reported, citing PowerOutage.us.Motorists hurried home through strong winds and rain as the dust storm, commonly referred to as a haboob, approached. Haboobs are associated with collapsing thunderstorms and strong winds and can make driving on roads nearly impossible.The haboob cut visibility to a quarter-mile across metro Phoenix but had cleared up by Monday evening. Phoenix has been drier than usual during the summer rainy season, while parts of southeast and north-central Arizona have had a fair amount of rain, said Mark O’Malley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix, as reported by AP.Planes at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport were temporarily grounded due to “extreme weather,” Heather Shelbrack, the airport’s deputy aviation director for public relations, said in an email accessed by AP. The ground stop was lifted by Monday evening, with flights delayed about 15 to 30 minutes.What is haboob and how is it formed?Live EventsA haboob is a massive wall of dust and sand emerging from the winds of decaying thunderstorms or intense showers. According to AccuWeather, it is usually seen during the monsoon season in the southwestern United States and other dry land areas across the world. As the storm’s winds drop, they gather sand and dirt from the ground, creating an outward push. What is the scale of haboobs?These dust walls can rise to 10,000 feet, and wind gusts can attain a speed of 50 to 70 mph, according to AccuWeather. These have enough strength to topple trees and catapult debris into the air.How dangerous are haboobs?Haboobs pose significant hazards. Visibility can drop sharply to mere feet, which can cause serious problems for motorists. Besides the visibility issue, the poor air quality cause respiratory difficulties for those moving out of their house.What safety measures can be taken?It is always advised to seek shelter as and when a haboob approaches. According to AccuWeather, if you find yourself driving during a haboob, the safest course of action is to pull over and wait out the storm.(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onHaboobdust stormArizona weatherMonsoon seasonhaboob arizonadust storm arizona (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onHaboobdust stormArizona weatherMonsoon seasonhaboob arizonadust storm arizona(Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates....moreless