The World Meteorological Organization released its 2026 Airborne Dust Bulletin on 10 July, highlighting global dust sources, impacts and research advances, and emphasizing the need for international cooperation. Dust emissions average about 2,000 million tons per year and can travel hundreds to thousands of kilometers, affecting more than 150 countries. The largest natural sources are arid and semi‑arid regions, especially the Sahara, the Gobi and the Arabian Desert. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said the storms affect air quality and human health, and that dust storms and droughts do not respect borders, making international cooperation essential. Annual mean dust concentrations in 2025 remained similar to 2024 globally, with the highest concentrations recorded in the Bodélé Depression in Chad. Dust intrusions were observed in North Africa and the Middle East, degrading air quality and reducing visibility. In April 2025, a dust event swept from Mongolia into China, marking the worst sand and dust storm in China in the past decade by intensity, geographic extent and duration. Hourly PM10 levels exceeded 1,000 μg/m³ in northern China, reaching 3,000 to 4,000 μg/m³ in some areas, well above WHO guideline limits. In the border region of the United States and Mexico, El Paso, Texas recorded 50 days of dust weather in 2025, more than double the annual average and the highest count since the 1930s Dust Bowl. On 18 March, continuous dust conditions lasted more than six hours with a daily average PM10 concentration of 2,064 μg/m³ and hourly peaks of 8,142 μg/m³, the highest measured in Texas since monitoring began 27 years ago. Schools, highways and airports were closed temporarily, public events were cancelled, and multiple fatal highway crashes occurred. Forecasting dust aerosols remains challenging due to complex interactions and high computational costs of traditional models. Advances in artificial intelligence now allow models to use extensive satellite data and ground observations, reducing computational demands after an initial training phase. AI‑based systems show varied performance, with some suited for short‑lived local storms and others for large‑scale, multi‑day events. Improved satellite remote sensing combined with machine‑learning techniques has enhanced mapping of active dust hotspots worldwide, supporting targeted mitigation efforts. WMO’s Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System, established in 2007, links regional centres in Jeddah, Barcelona, Beijing and Bridgetown to coordinate forecasting and warning services. The United Nations Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms promotes global collaboration, and the UN General Assembly designated 12 July as the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms and the 2025‑2034 Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, with the 2025 theme “From Source to Impact: Protecting Land and Life from Sand and Dust Storms.” The bulletin calls for continued investment in shared observations, data exchange and regional forecasting capacity to protect vulnerable populations and ecosystems from the cross‑border hazards of sand and dust storms.