from space | The lens of the Emirati astronaut captures scenes of a huge sandstorm that swept across the Sahara desert

Weather of Arabia - The Emirati astronaut, Sultan Al Neyadi, monitored a sandstorm sweeping across the Sahara Desert, which appeared clearly from the International Space Station. .

Observing the Earth is one of my favorite things to do on the International Space Station... being behind the lens and capturing breathtaking views that can only be seen from space.
I am sharing with you my latest photos of a sandstorm sweeping through the enchanting Sahara desert. pic.twitter.com/c9CEHar0Rx

- Sultan AlNeyadi (@Astro_Alneyadi) March 30, 2023

The weather of Arabia explains the scientific reasons behind the formation of the sandstorm

The meteorologists at the Arab Regional Weather Center said that the scientific reasons behind the formation of the sandstorm with this force carry several aspects, including those related to the weather (a basic cause), including the nature of the soil acquired by the Sahara Desert, and for reasons related to weather, computer numerical modeling maps indicated that there is a mass Cold and dry air that rushed towards North Africa, specifically north of Libya, led to the formation of a huge surface air elevation over those areas.

On the other hand, the regions of Central Africa were exposed to very high temperatures, as the surface atmospheric pressure values decreased, and it is known in meteorology that the winds move from high atmospheric pressure to low atmospheric pressure, and due to the coldness of the air and its heavy weight and the sharp difference in the values of atmospheric pressure, strong winds blew at an angle Northeast over large areas of the African desert, especially the deserts of Mali and Mauritania, and in light of the nature of the sandy soil, strong winds caused the emergence of this huge sand storm.

The path of the sandstorm towards the waters of the Atlantic Ocean

Satellite images of the Arab Weather Center monitor the huge sandstorm, which is now stationed off the coast of the Maghreb and heading towards the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in an unusual path.

Watch also: Distinctive moments revealed by Emirati Sultan Al Neyadi from the International Space Station