Sandstorms - sandstorm - has long been steeped in dark halo. No wonder they bear that name - "sandstorm" means poison, poisoned. And these storms really ruined caravans.
Simoom observed in the deserts of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and has the most western and south-western direction. Basically there in the spring and summer.
"For an hour or half an hour before the rise merciless storm, bright sun dims, clouded by the murky haze. On the horizon, there is a small dark cloud. It is growing rapidly, covering the blue sky. That bumped the first violent gust of hot, prickly wind. And a minute later pales day. Clouds of burning sand mercilessly flogged every living thing, shut the midday sun. In the howling and whistling of the wind disappear all other sounds. It seems that the air itself turns against you ... "- This is the description of a sandstorm, this ancient Greek historian Herodotus
Nowadays, when the desert is crossed by roads, and above them in all directions lie airways in the death of the great caravan routes not facing travelers.
So, in 1805, sandstorm, according to many authors, covered with sand two thousand and eighteen hundred camels. It is quite possible, the same storm killed in 525 BC the army of the Persian king Cambyses, which Herodotus wrote
It happens that the testimonies of people who have undergone the test element, sin exaggerations. However, no doubt - very dangerous sandstorm