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| Dust devil | |
|---|---|
 A dust devil in Arizona | |
| Area of occurrence | Primarily temperate and tropical regions |
| Season | Most common in summer |
| Effect | Dust and debris lofted into air, possibly wind damage |
| Part of a series on |
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A dust devil (also known regionally as a dirt devil) is a strong, well-formed, and relatively short-lived whirlwind. Its size ranges from small (18 in/half a metre wide and a few yards/metres tall) to large (more than 30 ft/10 m wide and more than half a mile/1 km tall). The primary vertical motion is upward. Dust devils are usually harmless, but can on rare occasions grow large enough to pose a threat to both people and property.[1][2]
They are comparable to tornadoes in that both are a weather phenomenon involving a vertically oriented rotating column of wind. Most tornadoes are associated with a larger parent circulation, the mesocyclone on the back of a supercell thunderstorm. Dust devils form as a swirling updraft under sunny conditions during fair weather, rarely coming close to the intensity of a tornado.
- ^ "dust devil". Glossary of Meteorology. American Meteorological Society. 2016.
- ^ Glossary of Meteorology. American Meteorological Society. 2000. ISBN 978-1-878220-34-9. Archived from the original on 2009-01-30.