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What is a brown roller storm in the Arabian Desert?
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Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert, the largest desert in Asia, covering an area of about 900,000 square miles (2,300,000 square km).
In the Arabian Desert, a "brown roller" is a frightening, frontal storm that appears suddenly on the horizon during the spring or fall.1
This weather phenomenon can reach up to 60 miles (100 km) in width and carries significant amounts of sand, dust, and debris high into the atmosphere. The arrival of a brown roller is typically followed by a sharp drop in temperature and, frequently, rainfall. During these storms, wind velocities often reach gale force for approximately half an hour.1