Apr 10 2008
Dust Storms in Mosul
Summer is on the way. It’s easy to tell because of the frequent dust storms. As the temperature begins to rise, a persistent southeasterly wind picks up. This wind is called the sharqi and occurs from April to June. My flights to COB Speicher were canceled last week due to dust storms caused by the sharqi winds. From mid-June to mid-September, a northwesterly wind pattern called shamal dominates. Then the sharqi returns from late-September through November. The winds and accompanying dust storms die down from December through March. Fortunately for me, there are always plenty of tanks and other armored vehicles kicking up dust to keep me from breathing clean air when I run!
I snapped this picture yesterday afternoon around 1600. A couple of hours later, I went out for a 5 miler. After finishing my run, I spent the next hour coughing and spitting. I think I’ve gained about 10 pounds so far just by ingesting sand when I run!
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