Terrifying images have captured the moment when a huge cloud of dust, caused by wind gusts of 80 mph, blanketed Phoenix, Arizona, plunging tens of thousands into darkness.
Powerful storms moved into the metro on Thursday evening as the cloud of dust was accompanied by heavy rainfall, high winds and lightning in some areas.
The harsh weather marks an escalation of the monsoon season for much of the southwest after the region experienced a scorching summer under a “heat dome” that broke temperature records in numerous cities.
The epicenter of Thursday’s outbreak was Maricopa County, the state’s most populous area, as thousands were hampered by power outages, grounded flights and travel chaos.
A huge cloud of dust blanketed much of Maricopa County in Phoenix, Arizona, Thursday evening as the city was battered by severe weather
Several small fires – including in a home and near a communications tower – were caused by lightning strikes across the city
The dust cloud was brought in by a large thunderstorm system developing in the south of the city, which pushed the storm system into the city with strong gusts of wind, the FOX Forecast Center said.
Visibility was reduced to less than a quarter mile in some areas as the National Weather Service introduced storm warnings that lasted until 9:45 p.m. Thursday, while the city ground to a halt.
According to Poweroutage.US, up to 86,000 people were without power at various stages of the night, with the hardest hit areas being Pinal, Yavapai and Maricopa counties.
The severe weather also frustrated sports fans, as the Arizona State Football game was temporarily suspended while the home team led 21–7 at halftime.
Fans were ordered to seek shelter as the stadium was covered in dust and lightning was detected during the showdown with Southern Utah University, with Arizona taking a 24–21 win at 1:00 a.m. after being restarted.
The dust cloud was brought in by a large thunderstorm system that developed in the south of the city, which moved the storm system into the city with strong gusts of wind.
The weather front caused a temporary delay in the University of Arizona’s confrontation with Southern Utah
Fans were ordered to find shelter as the game was temporarily interrupted by the severe weather, which later resumed and ended at 1:00 AM.
Visibility was limited to less than a quarter mile in some areas as travel chaos hit Sky Harbor and Mesa-Gateway airports with significant delays
The extreme weather front marks an escalation of the southwest monsoon season, with wet and wild weather expected to last through Labor Day
Although the dust cloud provided the most striking images of the weather front, much of the destruction was caused by thunderstorms and high winds.
Flights were temporarily grounded from Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport, and officials urged travelers to check that their flights were still operating after an overnight ground stop was introduced on the runways.
The travel chaos also spread to Phoenix Mesa-Gateway Airport, as a ground stop order delayed flights for several hours.
Several fires were sparked by lightning strikes across the city when a pine tree went up in flames not far from where four people were displaced when their home was set on fire by another strike.
Stunning footage showed firefighters running to the house and battling the blaze, and thankfully no injuries were reported at the scene.
In the city’s South Mountain area, which was first hit by the storms as the weather front moved north, lightning strikes again sparked fires through communications towers, according to AZFamily.
Much of Maricopa County was covered by the dust cloud, with the storms also causing disturbances throughout the county and the nearby towns of Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Glendale and Avondale.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the fires, as they covered about half an acre, and no crew injuries or damage to the towers were reported.
The wet and wild weather is predicted to continue into the weekend, but temperatures are expected to rise as Labor Day sets to be another sweltering day in the state.
Arizona has been experiencing widespread power outages for months due to the extreme weather. Power outages have also been reported in cities such as Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Glendale and Avondale.
The storms mark an escalation in an otherwise mild monsoon season for the southwest, which has instead been scorched by an unprecedented “heat dome” that has sent temperatures soaring.
Temperature records were set in numerous cities on the West Coast and Southwest, including Phoenix, where it was above 110F for 30 consecutive days.
However, the return of the monsoon season hit California last month, when its first tropical storm in 84 years caused widespread flooding.
In Phoenix, the extreme weather comes as Maricopa County recorded another 47 heat-related deaths this week, bringing the total to at least 180, it said. AZCentral.