Skip to main content

What is a Shamal?

As I was sitting in my home office the other day looking for inspiration to write and I heard a howl and a furious rustling of leaves and looked out my window.  The dust was so thick I could barely see into the neighbors back yard and the trees were being viciously whipped around by a wind that must have been 4 Beaufort (for you sailors out there)...it was a Shamal!  Not nearly the fear-inducing wind and rain that comes with a hurricane (and I've sat through a few of those sitting on the bathroom floor, hugging my cat in Fort Lauderdale) but it's still quite unsettling. 

Living in the Middle East (Dubai to be exact), we rarely see any rain so the few drops that the Shamal brought were welcome, although not enough to settle the dust down, other than in your teeth and eyelashes.  Yes, it's that pervasive.  It's so fine that it gets into the smallest cracks and crevices so you spend the next week sweeping and mopping dust and sand from the weirdest places.

We are in the middle of a cosmopolitan city filled with the most architecturally brilliant high rises, including the Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the world - but a vast, rolling desert is just a couple clicks away and when the wind kicks up, if it's blowing westward, we get "the Shamal." 

I had never heard of one before I moved here and you've got to experience it to believe it.  According to the Encyclopedia Britannica a Shamal is a "hot and dry, dusty wind from the north or northwest in Iraq, Iran, and the Arabian Peninsula. In June and July it blows almost continuously, but usually under 50 km (about 30 miles) per hour."  O.K., maybe I exaggerated with the Beaufort 4, but it was kickin'! "The wind causes great dust storms, especially in July, when Baghdad may experience five or more such storms. The shamal is part of a widespread flow toward a low-pressure centre over Pakistan.

So, there you have it.  We may not have hurricanes anymore and we may have escaped the snow and cold when we moved to Florida from Canada many years ago...but now we have the Shamal.  Fortunately it doesn't devastate entire communities and you don't have to shovel it...just have a broom handy at all times.

Comments

Doris Gallan said…
How do you deal with the sand and dust getting into your electronics, computers, etc? Is this a major problem there?

The Shamal makes me think of the Chinooks in Calgary. They are usually welcomed there as the temperatures greatly increase and melt all of the winter snow. But I guess you don't have too much snow to worry about in Dubai!

Popular posts from this blog

The Last Witch on Skye goes on tour!

 I'm very exicted to give you a preview of the next title coming out from OC Publishing. The Last Witch on Skye , written by Carolyn J. Nicholson and illustrated by E.M. Gales (edited by Marianne Ward and book design by David W. Edeldstein) will launch on September 17th. Our virtual book tour has begun and we are thrilled to have the folks listed below on board to help build excitement for the launch. A bit about the book... The Ban the Witches and Fairies (BW&F) Party has chased all the supernatural beings out of the Isle of Skye. Only Magaidh, a young witch, remains, hiding in a castle disguised as a cat. But, she and the Queen of the Fairies have a plan to rescue the Fairy Flag, allowing the fairies and Magaidh to return to Skye. As Magaidh resumes her business, Spells Inc. she thinks about getting revenge but the Fairy Queen suggests peace would be a better plan. Throughout the book, Magaidh and her two fairy friends, Sean and Iain, go on many adventures together, including...

Where Did i Go? a Memoir Plus by Francene Gillis is on Tour!

As we celebrate the launch on June 22 of  Where Did i Go? a Memoir Plus by Nova Scotia-based author, Francene Gillis, we're reaching out to reviewers, bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, and avid readers who would like to receive a review copy. Our tour schedule is starting to take shape so wanted to share with you those who have already joined the virtual book tour. Make sure you visit and follow these folks and show the love for those who support authors in their mission to spread the word! As reviews, author interviews and spotlights run, we will be updating the links so come back often :) If you have a favourite book blogger/reviewer, podcaster, BookToker, or Tuber that you think would be interested, add them in the comments below. The Where Did i Go?   T our Line-up: Francene Gillis Sarah Butland's Imagination Captured Author Takeover - Kicked off the tour on May 14 Tea with Francene Gillis on  Toons & Wooden Spoons  with Mary Janet MacDonald - June 8 Lisa Has...

The Tudor Prophecy on Virtual Tour

  We're excited to announce the line up of reviews, bloggers and interviewers for the virtual book tour for The Tudor Prophecy by Julie Strong  that released on January 25th. The tour continues in full force. Please visit the sites and leave comments and follow these reviewers, podcasters and bloggers :)  Here's the line-up so far. As reviews, Q&As and interviews air and post, we will update the links. Atlantic Book Reviews (Lana Shupe) - book review - November 26th - pre-tour review! The Corner Bookstore  - USA Global TV & Radio - author interview - January 9 History Bards and Downunder Reviews  - author interview - January 16 What Cathy Read Next (Cathy Johnson) - launch announcement and excerpt -January 17 Dalhousie Alumni Newsletter - January 20 - launch announcement The Author Journey (Anne O'Connell) - author interview - January 21 Dianne Ascroft  - author Q&A - January 24 The IndieView - author Q&A - January 25 Dartmouth Book Exch...