A winter shamal is a form of western Asian dust storm. In addition to the devastating dust storms and the aforementioned invasions, it's also believed that infighting played a role in the empire's ...

Strong winter dust storms may have caused the collapse of the Akkadian Empire. ScienceDaily . Retrieved June 2, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2019 / 10 / 191024093606.htm ...

Dust storms mostly hit Iraq in the summer months, when they are often associated with strong winds known as shamal blowing in from the north-west. In western Iraq, shamal-driven dust storms occur ...

Fossil coral records provide new evidence that frequent winter shamals, or dust storms, and a prolonged cold winter season contributed to the collapse of the ancient Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia.

The storms ramp up in the late spring and summer as seasonal winds blowing from the northwest, known as the “shamal,” kick up dust from the Tigris-Euphrates basin and transport it to the ...

The dust storm on Friday formed near Bloomington, Ill., at about 4:30 p.m. local time when thunderstorms in central Illinois generated a push of whipping and howling winds with speeds up to 70 ...

A dust storm clogged the sky this week, days after flooding devastated another part of the same region. transcript There’s the Avondale sign there. Avondale, I should say. I can only just see it ...

Saudi authorities have made recent efforts to reduce the frequency and severity of dust storms through reforestation and environmental reforms tied to the country’s Vision 2030 initiative.. In ...

Dust and sand storms have been sweeping the UAE in recent weeks, providing a challenge for weather and environment agencies who are working to forecast and prepare for their effects. On Thursday ...

Shamal winds (are low-level north-westerly winds) blow almost continuously in summer, often stirring up huge clouds of sand and dust. “We are still experiencing north-westerly wind; the entire ...

Scientists say dust storms are complex and poorly understood, but their main causes are natural. In 2015 many people blamed a fierce summer storm in the Levant on Syria’s civil war, thinking ...

In western Iraq, shamal-driven dust storms occur mainly in the spring. Image source, Reuters. Image caption, Experts believe dust storms are becoming more frequent in Iraq due to climate change.