‘Military report on Persia Volume I 1930’ [‎29r] (62/154)

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Juwain, where it attains its maximum velocity and force,
Thence it blows across Seistan, and, striking the Helmand,
follows that river up to Band-i-Kamal Khan, where it
wheels east and continues up the Helmand for 40 or 50
miles. It then turns due south to the western spurs of
the Koh-i-Sultan range, crosses these mountains and blows
south over the western Chagai desert, keeping east of
Mashkhel. It continues on this line till it blows itself
out, either in Mekran or at the sea coast. Its velocity
decreases as it progresses south of the Koh-i-Sultan range.
The breadth of this windstream is said to average 80 miles,
in the centre of which the wind attains its greatest velocity.
Although causing discomfort from dust, noise, etc., it
saves Seistan by blowing away the insects, mitigating the
heat and clearing the country of typhus, smalkpox and
diseases rife in May and June. Without this wind the
Seistan summer would be almost unbearable and very un
healthy. When it ceases finally, which it does abruptly,
the temperature again rises.
During the winter, this zone is subject to blizzards,
which occur at intervals of three to four weeks and con
tinues from two to three days.
These blizzards blow from the same point of the compass
as the 120 days wind, but cover a breadth of 140—160 miles.
The dead centre of both the wind stream and the blizzards
is Nushki Chah, on the old Nushki-Seistan trade route.
The violence of the winds in this area is reported to have
reached, on occasions, 120 miles per hour.
The rainfall is slight and in ordinary years averages
inches. May to October may be regarded as practically
rainless. Showers of light rain occasionally fall during
the winter. The quantity is never excessive, hut, owing
to the high level of the ground water and to the flat sur
face of the clay soil, a fall of even half an inch is sufficient
to interfere seriously with transport animals, especially
camels.
Health.
Seistan is probably the healthiest place in East Persia,
a fact which can be ascribed to the high wind mentioned
above. Endemic diseases are typhus, small-pox, enteric
fever and relapsing fever. Cases of small-pox and enteric
fever are constantly met with, and it is therefore essential