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
The drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is photographed from the Washington Monument, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tierney L. Cross)
Photograph: Associated Press News (embedded from source)
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
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- Intense Dust Storms Hit Phoenix (opens Newser in a new tab)
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens Stuff in a new tab)
- Haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice in a week (opens Breaking News in a new tab)
Breaking News — is Breaking News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice in a week (opens Irish News in a new tab)
Irish News — is Irish News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens Bangor Daily News in a new tab)
Bangor Daily News — is Bangor Daily News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens SF Gate in a new tab)
Show 4 more
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Hot, humid, hazy weather hangs over Phoenix. When will rain return? (opens AZCentral in a new tab)
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens The Hamilton Spectator in a new tab)
The Hamilton Spectator — is The Hamilton Spectator biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
6- Powerful haboobs pound Phoenix area twice this week (opens Las Vegas Review-Journal in a new tab)
Las Vegas Review-Journal — is Las Vegas Review-Journal biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice in a week (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Belfast Telegraph — is Belfast Telegraph biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens Newsday in a new tab)
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens WSLS in a new tab)
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens NY1 in a new tab)
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens Click on Detroit in a new tab)
Click on Detroit — is Click on Detroit biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
4- A Dust Storm Battered Phoenix for 15 Hours, the Most Severe in Years, with Particulate Matter Levels Soaring to over 6,000 Micrograms per Cubic Meter. (opens thairath.co.th in a new tab)
thairath.co.th — is thairath.co.th biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sandstorms Hit Phoenix Twice This Week (opens Reforma in a new tab)
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens Washington Times in a new tab)
Washington Times — is Washington Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Unusually intense haboob dust storms strike Phoenix twice this week (opens CT Insider in a new tab)
CT Insider — is CT Insider biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
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