Wind is the invisible force that makes leaves dance, fills sails with power, and sometimes, unleashes nature’s fury in jaw-dropping storms. But what is wind, really? And how do the same forces that create a soft summer breeze also give rise to devastating hurricanes, whirling tornadoes, and towering walls of dust?

Wind is just moving air, and the driving force behind that movement is uneven heating of the Earth by the sun. When air warms up, it expands and rises, creating areas of low pressure. Cooler air, being denser, rushes in to take its place. This movement of air from high-pressure to low-pressure zones is what we feel as wind. Not all wind is created equal. While some gusts barely rustle the trees, others spiral into monstrous storms. So how does wind transform from a breeze into something more extreme?

Tornadoes are some of the most violent wind events. They form when warm, moist air collides with cool, dry air, creating instability in the atmosphere. If conditions are just right, a rotating column of air will form. This rotation tightens and extends toward the ground and boom—you’ve got a tornado! Tornado winds can reach speeds over 300 mph tearing through everything in their path. The U.S. sees the most twisters due to its mix of Gulf moisture and cold mountain air. If you’ve ever seen a little swirling column of dust you’ve witnessed a dust devil. Unlike tornadoes, which form from storms, dust devils start from the ground up. The sun superheats a dry surface, the hot air rises, spinning into a small vortex as it meets cooler air above. While usually harmless, large dust devil winds can reach 60 mph.

Haboobs, an Arabic word that means strong wind, are massive dust storms that occur in desert regions. They’re usually triggered by the downdrafts of thunderstorms, which send a gust of wind rushing across the dry landscape. As the wind picks up loose sand and dust, it creates a rolling, churning wall that can stretch for miles and reduce visibility to near zero. In the United States, Arizona and New Mexico see more of these storms than any other state. Haboobs move fast and can swallow entire cities in minutes covering everything in a fine layer of dust.

Wind is a force of nature that can be both life-giving and destructive. It helps spread seeds and shapes landscapes. When it turns extreme, it can level towns, kick up dangerous dust storms, churn up fearsome hurricanes and cause wildfires to rapidly spread. The next time you feel a breeze on your face, remember that the wind is powerful, and an ever-moving system on the surface of the Earth.