Khamsin (redirected from Hamsin)

khamsin [kam′sēn]

(meteorology)

A dry, dusty, and generally hot desert wind in Egypt and over the Red Sea; it is generally southerly or southeasterly, occurring in front of depressions moving eastward across North Africa or the southeastern Mediterranean.

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Khamsin 

(Arabic; literally “fifty”), a hot, dry southerly wind that occurs in northeastern Africa and over the Red Sea. The khamsin, which blows about 50 days a year, primarily between April and June, is observed in the forward parts of cyclones passing from the deserts of North Africa to the eastern Mediterranean region. It usually carries a great deal of sand and dust, reducing visibility and often creating sandstorms. It is associated with high temperatures, up to 40°C, and a sharp drop in relative air humidity.