Simoom

Simoom

Simoom ( _ar. سموم "samūm"; from the root سم "s-m-m", "to poison") is a strong, dry, dust-laden local wind that blows in the Sahara, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and the deserts of Arabian Peninsula. Alternative spellings include samiel, sameyel, samoon, samun, simoun, and simoon. Its temperature may exceed 54°C and the humidity may fall below 10%.

The storm moves in cyclone (circular) form, carrying clouds of dust and sand, and produces on men and animals a suffocating effect. The name means "poison wind" and is given because the sudden onset of simoom may also cause heat stroke. This is attributed to the fact that the hot wind brings more heat to the body than can be disposed of by the evaporation of perspiration.

A 19th-century account of simoom in Egypt goes:

Egypt is also subject, particularly during the spring and summer, to the hot wind called the "samoom," which is still more oppressive than the khamáseen winds, but of much shorter duration, seldom lasting longer than a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. It generally proceeds from the south-east or south-south-east, and carries with it clouds of dust and sand. [Lane, Edward William (1973 [1860] ). "An Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians". With a new introduction by John Manchip White. New York: Dover Publications. P. 2.]

United States:

A Simoom also struck Santa Barbara, California in 1859 bringing the local morning temperature from a cool 77 degrees to 133 degrees within a couple hours. The temperature stayed in around 130 degrees for the majority of the day and left as quickly as it came leaving many animals dead and people fearing the end of the world had come.This temperature of 133 degrees held the record for a long time.

References

:Nuttall

External links

* [http://mediatheek.thinkquest.nl/~ll118/en/development/types.list.simoom.html Brief description]


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  • simoom — [simo͞on′si mo͞om′, sīmo͞om′] n. 〚Ar samūm < samma, to poison〛 a hot, violent, sand laden wind of the African and Asiatic deserts: also called simoon [simo͞on′] * * * si·moom (sĭ mo͞omʹ) also si·moon ( mo͞onʹ) n. A strong, hot, sand laden wind of …   Universalium

  • Simoom — Si*moom , Simoon Si*moon , n. [Ar. sam?m, fr. samma to poison. Cf. {Samiel}.] A hot, dry, suffocating, dust laden wind, that blows occasionally in Arabia, Syria, and neighboring countries, generated by the extreme heat of the parched deserts or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • simoom — hot, dry desert wind, 1790, from Arabic samum a sultry wind, lit. poisonous, from samma he poisoned, from sam poison …   Etymology dictionary

  • simoom — [simo͞on′si mo͞om′, sīmo͞om′] n. [Ar samūm < samma, to poison] a hot, violent, sand laden wind of the African and Asiatic deserts: also called simoon [simo͞on′] …   English World dictionary

  • simoom — Samiel Sa mi*el (?; 277), n. [Turk. sam yeli; Ar. samm poison + Turk. yel wind. Cf. {Simoom}.] A hot and destructive wind that sometimes blows, in Turkey, from the desert. It is identical with the {simoom} of Arabia and the {kamsin} of Syria.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • simoom — noun /sɪˈmuːm,sɪˈmuːm/ A hot, dry, suffocating, dust laden wind of the desert, particularity of Arabia, Syria, and neighboring countries, generated by the extreme heat of the parched deserts or sandy plains. , 1916: Stephens heart had withered up …   Wiktionary

  • simoom — samumas statusas T sritis ekologija ir aplinkotyra apibrėžtis Karštas sausas gūsingas Šiaurės Afrikos ir Arabijos pusiasalio vėjas, dažnai su smėlio audra. Dažniausiai siaučia pavasarį ir vasarą. Užeina staiga, trunka neilgai. atitikmenys: angl.… …   Ekologijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • Simoom Hill — (coord|69|28|S|67|56|W|) is one of the Relay Hills, rising to 640 m, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Mount Edgell in western Antarctic Peninsula. Named in 1977 by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place Names Committee (UK APC) in association with other wind …   Wikipedia

  • simoom — or simoon noun Etymology: Arabic samūm Date: 1790 a hot dry violent dust laden wind from Asian and African deserts …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • SIMOOM — or SIMOON    a hot, dry wind storm common to the arid regions of Africa, Arabia, and parts of India; the storm moves in cyclone (circular) form, carrying clouds of dust and sand, and produces on men and animals a suffocating effect …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

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