Khamsin

Khamsin or Hamsin (from  khamsīn or khamseen) is a Middle Eastern term for the dry, hot wind that blows in from the desert. It can refer to the wind that blows from the Sahara across Egypt in the spring, typically from March through May; or in Israel, for the easterly wind that brings dust from the Arabian desert to cities and oppressive pressure on the people.

The hamsin is usually limited to two seasons, between March and May, and between September and November.

Etymology

Derives from the Arabic for "fifty". Some speculate that it blows around fifty days per year, but whether this is true or is the reason for the name is unsure. The Arabic term "yom al-khamsīn" means "the day of Pentecost"

The Hebrew word sharav  is sometimes used in Israel for a hamsin (considered more "proper Hebrew"), but actually this term means hot dry weather, even if there is no wind. The Biblical term for a hamsin is ruah qadīm (Hebrew: "east wind").