khamsin, hot, dry, dusty wind in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula that blows from the south or southeast in late winter and early spring. It often reaches temperatures above 40° C (104° F), and it may blow continuously for three or four days at a time and then be followed by an inflow of much cooler air.
The khamsin results when a low-pressure centre moves eastward over the Sahara or the southern Mediterranean Sea. On its forward side, the centre brings warm, dry air northward out of the desert, carrying large amounts of dust and sand; on its rear side, it brings cool air southward from the Mediterranean. The name khamsin is derived from the Arabic word for “50” and refers to the approximately 50-day period in which the wind annually occurs.