Greece: A veil of orange Sahara dust covers Athens

Greece: A veil of orange Sahara dust covers Athens

Even while the orange sky above Athens was stunning, many Greeks had respiratory issues due to the dust clouds.

Over Athens, clouds of dust from the Sahara desert have swept in, creating a striking orange haze.

Officials claim that this is one of the deadliest occurrences of that kind to have struck Greece since 2018.

Similar clouds, including parts of Switzerland and southern France, had previously hit Greece in late March and early April.

According to Greece's meteorological service, Wednesday will see bright skies.

Many parts of the nation now have worsening air quality, and on Wednesday morning the dust made the Acropolis in Athens invisible. Thessaloniki is in the north where the cloud has arrived.

Greeks who suffer from respiratory ailments have been advised to wear protective masks, stay inside throughout the day, and refrain from exercising until the dust clouds pass.

Every year, the Sahara emits between 60 and 200 million tons of mineral dust.

While the majority of the dust swiftly falls to Earth, some of the tiny particles may travel across great distances and sometimes even reach Europe.

Due to the mix of heat and dust, the environment has become oppressive, particularly in southern Greece.

Kostas Lagouvardos, a meteorologist, likened the view from one weather station to Mars.

Tuesday saw 25 wildfires reported by the fire department during the previous day. As temperatures reached beyond 30C (86F), a fire broke out close to a military installation on the island of Crete, requiring the evacuation of residences and a kindergarten, according to local media.

Saharan dust plumes are not unusual in Europe; their frequency varies with severity, although they usually happen in the spring and fall.

Strong southerly winds generated by an area of low pressure over Libya are to blame for the present events in the Eastern Mediterranean. Specifically on Tuesday, these winds delivered heavy concentrations of sand and dust from North Africa into Greece. Along with the scorching desert air came the winds from the south. Across the Greek mainland and islands, temperatures increased to much above normal for late April, with 36.6C being recorded in the Chania district of Crete.

Wednesday will see the greatest concentrations of dust concentrated farther east as a cold front bringing cleaner, fresher air continues to move in from the west. The Eastern Mediterranean will see cleaner, fresher air by the end of the week, along with temperatures that are more in line with the season.