Dust devils are strong, well-formed whirlwinds that can reach tens of meters in diameter and more than a thousand meters tall. Unlike tornadoes, dust devils are relatively harmless and rarely approach similar wind speeds. They are caused by swirling updrafts under sunny conditions during fair weather.
Dust devils go by many different names depending on your location on the planet. In the Southwestern United States, the terms “dancing devil,” “sand auger,” or “dust whirl” might be used. The Navajo call them “chindi” and believe they are ghosts or spirits of the dead. In Australia they are called “willy-willy” or “whirly-whirly.” In the Middle-East they are referred to as “djin.”
Source: BBC’s Planet Earth Episode 1: From Pole to Pole
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