This is the terrifying moment a hellish sandstorm turned the sky into a fiery red haze in Iraq.

Footage captured by Abboud Al-Askari shows the entrance to a residential compound engulfed in thick orange dust in Rawah, Anbar Governorate.

Strong winds reduced visibility to near zero as the storm swept through the area, blanketing it in dense sand on the morning of May 13.

The storm dimmed the sunlight beneath clouds of dust, turning the sky into a Martian-like haze.

Authorities urged residents to remain indoors and avoid travel as the storm raged on.

Sandstorms also impacted parts of Iraq, Algeria, and Libya.

These intense sandstorms occur when strong winds pick up loose sand and dust from arid and desert regions, lifting them into the atmosphere and creating thick, blinding clouds that can travel for hundreds of miles.