A massive wall of dust swept through Phoenix, plunging the southwest US city into near-total darkness, grounding flights, forcing motorists off the road and cutting power to thousands.

The giant haboob, which occurred on Monday, is a common phenomenon during the arid region's monsoon season.

Haboobs form when a thunderstorm collapses, sending cold air crashing onto the desert floor, where it scoops up dust into a towering wall of sediment that can stretch for miles and rise thousands of feet.

The dust storm was followed by heavy rain and lightning that triggered flash flood warnings.

"This monsoon dust isn't messing around...Please be safe!" the City of Phoenix warned on X, sharing a photo of the dust wall looming over planes, a sight reminiscent of a science-fiction film.

Local media

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