In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allaah [The Exalted] said:

فَأَمَّا عَادٌ۬ فَٱسۡتَڪۡبَرُواْ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَقَالُواْ مَنۡ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً‌ۖ أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمۡ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنۡہُمۡ قُوَّةً۬‌ۖ وَكَانُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يَجۡحَدُونَ
فَأَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡہِمۡ رِيحً۬ا صَرۡصَرً۬ا فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ۬ نَّحِسَاتٍ۬ لِّنُذِيقَهُمۡ عَذَابَ ٱلۡخِزۡىِ فِى ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا‌ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ أَخۡزَىٰ‌ۖ وَهُمۡ لَا يُنصَرُونَ

As for ‘Aad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: “Who is mightier than us in strength?” See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them. And they used to deny Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.)! So We sent upon them furious wind in days of evil omen (for them) that We might give them a taste of disgracing torment in this present worldly life, but surely the torment of the Hereafter will be more disgracing, and they will never be helped. [Surah Fussilat. Aayaat 15-16]

[ فَأَمَّا عَادٌ۬ فَٱسۡتَڪۡبَرُواْ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ ٱلۡحَقِّ – As for ‘Aad, they were arrogant in the land without right]- Meaning, they rebelled, became haughty and sinfully disobedient; (1) haughtily turned away from Imaan and acted upon other than truth.(2) [وَقَالُواْ مَنۡ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً‌ۖ – and they said: “Who is mightier than us in strength?”]- Meaning, they boasted about their physical strength and power, and believed that can prevent Allaah’s punishment. (3) Prophet Hud [peace be upon him] used to warn them about the threat of punishment, but they said, “We are able to repel it with our strength”. (4) [أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمۡ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنۡہُمۡ قُوَّةً۬‌ۖ – See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them]- Meaning, do they not reflect regarding the one to whom they are manifesting their enmity, for indeed He is The All-Almighty Who created everything and placed in them the strength they possess, and that His punishment is severe indeed.

[فَأَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡہِمۡ رِيحً۬ا صَرۡصَرً۬ا فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ۬ نَّحِسَاتٍ۬ لِّنُذِيقَهُمۡ عَذَابَ ٱلۡخِزۡىِ فِى ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا‌ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ أَخۡزَىٰ‌ۖ وَهُمۡ لَا يُنصَرُونَ – So We sent upon them furious wind in days of evil omen (for them) that We might give them a taste of disgracing torment in this present worldly life, but surely the torment of the Hereafter will be more disgracing, and they will never be helped].

The scholars described this wind as follows: It was cold wind, scorching wind that burnt like fire burns, extremely cold wind, hot wind, ferocious wind etc (5) The truth is that the wind had all these characteristics, because it was powerful wind as a well deserved punishment due to them being deceived by their their physical strength. (6)

Slightly Paraphrased

[Ref 1: Al-Misbaah al-Muneer Fee Tahdheeb Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
[Ref 2 Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilmil Tafseer. By Imaam Ibnul Jawzi]
[Ref 3: Al-Misbaah al-Muneer Fee Tahdheeb Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
[Refs 4 & 5: Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilmil Tafseer. By Imaam Ibnul Jawzi]
[Ref 6: Al-Misbaah al-Muneer Fee Tahdheeb Tafseer Ibn Katheer]