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January 16, 2026 - Dust over Iraq and Kuwait
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A massive dust storm clouded the skies over Kuwait and Southeast Iraq in mid-January 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the airborne dust and sand on January 26.
The cities of Basra, Iraq is completely obscured from view by thick tan dust while Kuwait City and the northern Persian Gulf are barely visible. Using measurement tools from NASA’s Worldview App, it is estimated that the ground that is completely hidden by the dust storm stretches over at least 62,500 square kilometers (24,131 square miles). That’s an area roughly the size of the U.S. state of West Virginia.
Dust and sandstorms are the most frequent natural hazard in this region, which is typically hot and dry with plentiful sand and dust. In the summer, multi-day dust storms in the Middle East are often spurred by the shamal, a pattern of persistent winds that blow to the southeast. Shamal winds are most frequent in June and July but can happen any time of year. The more typical dust storm between December and April is caused by gale-force kaus (or sharki) winds, which blow towards the northwest.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 1/14/2026
Resolutions:
1km (146.4 KB), 500m (310 KB), 250m (385.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
A massive dust storm clouded the skies over Kuwait and Southeast Iraq in mid-January 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the airborne dust and sand on January 26.
The cities of Basra, Iraq is completely obscured from view by thick tan dust while Kuwait City and the northern Persian Gulf are barely visible. Using measurement tools from NASA’s Worldview App, it is estimated that the ground that is completely hidden by the dust storm stretches over at least 62,500 square kilometers (24,131 square miles). That’s an area roughly the size of the U.S. state of West Virginia.
Dust and sandstorms are the most frequent natural hazard in this region, which is typically hot and dry with plentiful sand and dust. In the summer, multi-day dust storms in the Middle East are often spurred by the shamal, a pattern of persistent winds that blow to the southeast. Shamal winds are most frequent in June and July but can happen any time of year. The more typical dust storm between December and April is caused by gale-force kaus (or sharki) winds, which blow towards the northwest.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 1/14/2026
Resolutions:
1km (146.4 KB), 500m (310 KB), 250m (385.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
