Video captures the arrival of impressive sandstorm

You may have watched a lot of movies that portray amazing sandstorms, haven't you? However, the video you are about to see shows one of these phenomena happening in real life. Captured on July 5, 2011 by photographer and “storm chaser” Mike Olbinski, the clip shows the time-lapse of the arrival of an impressive sandstorm that hit the city of Phoenix, located in Arizona, USA. Check out:

According to the folks at Twisted Sifter, the above storm is also known by the name of haboob and is a phenomenon that is often observed regularly in arid and heavily sanded regions such as deserts. It occurs when a large amount of dust particles are in suspension and are displaced by the action of strong and turbulent winds.

The "seawalls" of sand that Mike Olbinski captured could reach up to 100 kilometers wide and reach several kilometers high. The harshest sandstorms can travel at speeds between 35 and 100 km / h, and are often unpredictable, arriving without warning.