During coverage of the massive dust storms that have recently hit the Valley, you might have picked up on a new word -- haboob.
So why don't we just say dust storm?
ABC15 meteorologist Amber Sullins says haboob is the correct technical term for what happened, and that term has been around for quite some time.
In a YouTube video from Arizona State University , geophysical sciences professor Randy Cerveny gives a "haboob" history lesson.
"A lot of the original terms for dust storm mechanics and the types of things that we see during dust storms was originally discovered by the British when they were in charge of the Middle East and they used local terms very often to describe these things," Cerveny explained. "So Arabic terms like haboob have gotten applied to dust storm events in general."
We're not the only country outside of the Middle East to use the term. Australia also uses it to describe their dust storms.
az2008 posted at 8:26 pm on Sat, Sep 8, 2012.
About 4 years ago the local weather 'casters were all tingly about a new word they could use. "Oh my, haboob. That's what they say in Iraq. Let's say it and we'll sound cool."
Here we are, 4 years later and they have to explain why they use a word nobody understands.
Just use "dust storm". I doubt any weather 'casters in Iraq interrupt their arabic discourse to say "dust storm."
You've impressed yourselves for 4 years. Can you get over it now? Or, maybe find out how it's said in Mandarin, and impress yourselves all over again?
I'm convinced the only requirement to be a journalist is to be the last person in the cafeteria eating a danish.
res posted at 4:17 am on Sun, Sep 9, 2012.
Dust storm is the correct term,Haboob means wind in Arabic how has that been determined to mean duststorm in the Arizona. We change our languge and meanings because the British in the 1800's heard this word Haboob when they were in the Middle
East. I am sure we had dust storms and thunder storms now called the Monsoon years before we were told by these weather forecasters what the correct name is .
My we have had specials on the dust storms and monsoon's to learn what to call a thunder storm and dust storm
We should be calling these what they are and what people who have lived here have always called these weather phenomenon.
DUST STORM
THUNDERS STORM
Instead we listen to forecasters translate what they want to call the weather .
Like Typhoon and Hurricane same thing different area but are we know going to change hurricane to typhoon?
nazdweller posted at 5:40 am on Sun, Sep 9, 2012.
Never cared for 'Haboob' I've lived here all my life and have just recently (past few years) been hearing the Arabic term for 'Dust storm'. Does any non-Arabic speakers care what it's called in Arabic? I don't, or the Farsi word or the Hebrew word or Chinese word for it. It's a D,amn dust storm people
wdgnas posted at 6:53 am on Sun, Sep 9, 2012.
this is america. we don't need to speak any 4in language here.
retired03 posted at 10:12 am on Sun, Sep 9, 2012.
yes, dust storm. take your "correct" term and shove it. Dust storm has been just fine all these years. Why change it now and for a term used in a country thousands of miles away and has nothing to do with us? The word haboob is really stupid sounding. Sounds like a word my grandpa would make up to call me
Shawna M posted at 8:38 am on Mon, Sep 10, 2012.
Just moved here and would like to know how you can tell the difference between a dust storm and a rain storm other than seeing it on the news?