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Phoenix hit by two Category 5 haboob dust storms in three days

Both storms reduced visibility to half a mile and reached wind speeds of 50 mph, researchers said

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published Updated
The drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is photographed from the Washington Monument, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tierney L. Cross)

What this story says

  • Two haboob dust storms hit the Phoenix area on 3 and 6 August 2026, both classified as Category 5 on the dust storm severity scale.
  • Wind speeds reached about 50 mph (80 kph), and visibility dropped to half a mile (0.8 kilometers) during both storms, according to Arizona State University researchers.
  • The storms occurred late at night, reducing traffic and preventing significant impacts, as reported by the National Weather Service.
  • Scientists linked the intensity of the storms to drier-than-normal conditions in the region and the potential influence of human-caused climate change.

Who covered it

Left 55%(12)Centre 27%(6)Right 18%(4)

Percentages are shares of the 22 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .

Trust

64/100

Craft

87/100

Hype

15/100

22 sources · methodology

Missing from the right

Only 4 of the 22 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.

A reader who follows the right would not have seen this. We report the absence rather than explain it: outlets choose what to cover for many reasons, and we have no evidence about which one applies here.

Two haboob dust storms struck the Phoenix area within three days of each other in early August 2026. Both were classified as Category 5 events on the dust storm severity scale, which researchers at Arizona State University developed using data from 2010 onwards. The storms reduced visibility to half a mile (0.8 kilometers) and reached wind speeds of about 50 mph (80 kph).

National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Salerno said the storms occurred later at night, resulting in less traffic and no reports of significant impacts. Randall Cerveny, a professor at Arizona State University, told the Associated Press that the back-to-back Category 5 storms were unprecedented in the region’s records. Only six such storms have been recorded in the past 16 years.

Cerveny noted that the Phoenix region has been drier than normal, which may have contributed to the intensity of the storms. Scientists have previously stated that human-caused climate change increases the likelihood of severe drought and heavier storms, which could lead to more intense dust storms in the future.

What the coverage left out

None of the right-rated digests mentioned the Category 5 classification of the storms or the specific wind speeds and visibility reduction. The CT Insider digest also omitted the link between the storms and human-caused climate change, as well as the quotes from National Weather Service and Arizona State University researchers.

Coverage settled. We checked this 58 times and stopped on 12 Aug 2026, 16:15. The figures above are what it finished at.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

12 rated outlets

  • Left-rated outlets led on the rarity and severity of the two Category 5 haboob dust storms in Phoenix. All nine reports noted the storms were among the most intense in years, with eight specifying they reached the highest level on the dust storm severity scale. The Associated Press report included wind speeds of about 50 mph and visibility reduced to half a mile.
  • Eight of the nine left-rated digests and the Associated Press report stated the storms occurred within three days of each other. The Associated Press quoted Arizona State University researchers calling the back-to-back Category 5 events unprecedented in their records, with only six such storms recorded in the last 16 years.
  • The Associated Press report included climate change as a factor, citing scientists who linked human-caused climate change to increased odds of severe drought and heavier storms. None of the digests mentioned climate change or the role of drought in intensifying the storms.

Centre

6 rated outlets

  • The three centre-rated digests, from Click on Detroit, WSLS, and NY1, all carried the same Associated Press report. They led on the intensity of the storms, describing them as "among the most intense to hit the region in years." The digests included the classification of the storms as Category 5 events and the wind speeds of about 50 mph (80 kph).
  • The NY1 report, which republished the full Associated Press article, also included the same details as the left-rated reports, such as the timing of the storms, the lack of significant impacts, and the quote from Matt Salerno about reduced traffic. It did not omit the climate change link or the explanation of how haboobs form.

Right

4 rated outlets

  • The right-rated digest from CT Insider led on the intensity of the storms, describing them as "among the most intense to hit the region in years." It included the term "haboob" and noted that the latest storm rolled in three days after the previous one. The digest did not mention the Category 5 classification, the wind speeds, or the visibility reduction.
  • The CT Insider digest did not include the link to human-caused climate change, the explanation of how haboobs form, or the potential health and safety risks. It also omitted the quotes from Matt Salerno and Randall Cerveny.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Phoenix hit by two Category 5 haboob dust storms in three days?
Of the 22 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 55% are rated left, 27% are rated centre, 18% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Phoenix hit by two Category 5 haboob dust storms in three days left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 22 rated outlets on this story, 55% are rated left, 27% are rated centre, 18% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Phoenix hit by two Category 5 haboob dust storms in three days biased?
Phoenix hit by two Category 5 haboob dust storms in three days is one event reported by 22 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which side is not reporting Phoenix hit by two Category 5 haboob dust storms in three days?
When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
Which outlets covered Phoenix hit by two Category 5 haboob dust storms in three days?
22 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What is a haboob dust storm?
A haboob is a type of intense dust storm caused by strong downdrafts from thunderstorms, which stir up loose dust and dirt. These storms can create massive walls of dust, reducing visibility and posing risks to drivers and public health. The term is commonly used in the U.S. Southwest.
How severe were the Phoenix dust storms in August 2026?
Both storms were classified as Category 5 events on the dust storm severity scale, the highest level. They reduced visibility to half a mile and reached wind speeds of about 50 mph (80 kph). Researchers said the back-to-back storms were unprecedented in the region’s records.
Did the dust storms cause any significant damage?
There were no reports of significant impacts from the storms. National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Salerno said they occurred late at night, resulting in less traffic and fewer disruptions. The reduced visibility and high winds did not lead to major incidents.
What role does climate change play in dust storms?
Scientists have stated that human-caused climate change increases the likelihood of severe drought and heavier storms, which can contribute to more intense dust storms. The drier-than-normal conditions in the Phoenix region were cited as a factor in the August 2026 storms.

Read it at the source

22 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

12
Show 4 more

Centre

6

Right

4

Not rated

0

No outlet in this group ran the story.

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

Phoenix hit by two Category 5 haboob dust storms | MediaBias News