A day-long dust storm surprised residents of Al Ain on October 12, 2005, according to a report in the Khaleej Times. The storm dropped visibility to less than 4 kilometers (about 2.5 miles) and pushed temperatures to 41 degrees Celsius (about 106 degrees Fahrenheit). Those dealing with respiratory ailments or fasting for Ramadan were warned to be especially cautious. Al Ain (also Al Ayn) is in the eastern part of the United Arab Emirates, near the border with Oman. The town is known for both its gardens and its archaeological remains.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard the Aqua satellite captured this image on October 12, 2005. In this image, tendrils of dust sweep over both the Persian Gulf to the West, and the Gulf of Oman to the East. Two interesting features visible through the dust are Dubai’s manmade Palm Islands—described by their builders as the Eighth Wonder of the World—in the eastern part of the United Arab Emirates. An International Space Station astronaut photographed Palm Jumeirah on April 1, 2005.
NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images of the United Arab Emirates.
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