“One of the worst periods since 2018”: Sahara dust turns Greece orange, resulting in beautiful images

The Sahara dust that blew from North Africa towards Greece caused an orange haze over the entire country at sunset yesterday. The orange fog produces beautiful images, but also has many less pleasant consequences.

Sandstorms in the Sahara can blow sand and dust high into the air. The sand settles quickly because it is too heavy to float, but the lighter dust particles can travel thousands of kilometers with the wind. Now the strong wind from the South has caused Sahara dust to blow towards Greece.

READ ALSO. “Extraordinary” amount of Sahara dust has a negative impact on European air quality

That happens often. Greece was already hit by dust clouds from the Sahara in late March and early April. Belgium also had to put up with a gust of Sahara dust at the beginning of April. But the high concentration of Saharan dust currently blowing over Greece is rather exceptional. “It is one of the most severe episodes of Saharan dust and sand concentrations since March 2018, when dust clouds mainly swept over the island of Crete,” Kostas Lagouvardos, meteorologist at the Athens Observatory, told IPS. The Guardian. At sunset this phenomenon produced spectacular images.

(Read more below the photos)

Irritations

The high concentration of Sahara dust also leads to some problems. This allows the small dust particles to penetrate deep into the airways and cause irritation. In a hospital on Crete, more people than usual are said to have presented to the emergency room with respiratory complaints. The Greek government had therefore warned that people with sensitive airways, specific conditions or allergies should not go outside. Exercising outside was also discouraged.

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In addition, the strong southerly wind leads to high temperatures. In Crete the mercury rose to almost 37 degrees Celsius. On average, Greeks can expect temperatures around 22 degrees during this period of the year. These unusually high temperatures have sparked an exceptional number of forest fires in the south of the country in recent days.