Monsoon storm flips small planes at Phoenix-area airport

Gusty morning thunderstorms kicked up a unsafe dust storm in the Phoenix area, and officials warned drivers to pull over as visibility dropped to near zero.

Traffic cameras showed the fast-moving dust approaching the East Valley about 9:30 a.m. with rain following behind.

An occurrence of high wind in the upper atmosphere created the “disturbance” that magnified monsoon conditions before this morning’s squall, says Valerie Meyers, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix.

A dust storm warning was in effect until 11 a.m. for the Greater Phoenix area and northwest Pinal County.

It left about 7,000 Arizona Public Service customers without power at one point and caused electricity outages for more than 8,000 Salt River Project customers.

People stood by their office windows and watched the thick wall of dust move across the region.

Tuesday’s night’s thunderstorm was the second of the day to hit metro Phoenix.

It was a typical monsoon storm in most respects, except that it struck in late morning instead of evening.