Dust storm rolls through Phoenix area

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By Christina O'Haver By Christina O'Haver
By Christina O'Haver By Christina O'Haver
By Christina O'Haver By Christina O'Haver
By Christina O'Haver By Christina O'Haver
By Christina O'Haver By Christina O'Haver

PHOENIX -- Monsoon 2014 brought a massive wall of dust into the Valley from the south Friday evening.

The dust storm grew to an estimated 50 miles wide and 3,000 feet tall, leaving a Dust Storm Warning from the National Weather Service in effect until 7 p.m.

The affected area included Phoenix, Coolidge, Casa Grande, Sacaton and portions of Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande.

Motorists were urged to pull off the roadways due to reduced visibility.

The dust storm also affected some air travel. Sky Harbor International Airport said flights were still arriving and departing Friday evening, but FlightAware.com showed that all Phoenix-bound flights were held at their origins until 8 p.m. because of the low visibility.

Temperatures dropped as the winds picked up, with gusts reported at 45 mph, bringing some relief from the record-breaking heat earlier this week.

Isolated thunderstorms followed the dust in the East Valley, and gusty winds continued across the Phoenix metro area.

There were no reports of major damage from the storm, but SRP reported that about 10,000 customers had lost power. Power is expected to be restored by 10 p.m.