First modification:
The dust storm from the North African desert of the Sahara, which began on Tuesday in southern Spain, has spread this Wednesday, March 16, to more towns in the country, as well as to Portugal, France and the Swiss Alps. The phenomenon seriously affects air quality and has put several cities on alert, including Madrid.
Different European locations, from Madrid to the Swiss Alps, woke up this March 16 under skies of orange and gray tones. The phenomenon is produced by tiny particles that arrive from the Sahara desert.
The large layer of dust from the other side of the Mediterranean, known as haze, “has degraded air quality in large parts of Spain, Portugal and France,” said the European Union’s Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring service, which tracks the cloud. pollutant.
🧵#Calima It is an atmospheric phenomenon generated by dust and sand in suspension.
The particles cause the atmosphere to appear dull and the sky to appear yellowish or orange.
Calima contains warm, dry air from the #Sahara #Africa
video south of #Spain pic.twitter.com/amy35KyD1a
– Alejandro Sepúlveda Jara (@Sepulinares) March 15, 2022
Although it is not the first time that this layer of dust has appeared, hitting Spanish territory especially, the phenomenon has not been registered in the country for decades.
Although the haze covers a large part of the country, in some cities it is more noticeable than in others. A more orange hue is seen over the skies in the south of the nation.
Spain, the most polluted country in the world right now
Spain is now, and until the layer of microparticles dissipates, the most polluted nation in the world, said the spokesman for the State Meteorological Agency, Rubén del Campo.
Given the situation, experts recommend that the population hydrate, close windows, limit going outside and, if they do, always wear masks.
Visibility has been mainly reduced in cities such as Seville, Valencia and Madrid, where municipal crews have gone out to sweep the streets, while images of polluting dust have spread through social networks. Air quality is “extremely poor,” experts say.
“The phenomenon is very strong, but this type of event happens in February or March when a storm in Algeria and Tunisia collects dust and carries it to Europe,” said Carlos Pérez, an atmospheric dust researcher.
The calima is expected to remain active on Thursday in Spanish territory. Meteorologists point out that mud rains will be recorded in the areas where it coincides with rains, since the precipitations will solidify the dust, something known as “rain of blood”.
“Although the air will be cleaned little by little, some suspended dust may reach the Canary Islands this weekend,” del Campo stressed.
France, Portugal and Switzerland also face the haze
Although the dust from the Sahara mainly affects Spain, the microparticles went further and left ocher stains on cars in Paris, as well as a fine dust cloud in much of the continent.
Municipal crews in the French capital, London and Belgrade have worked overtime to remove the contaminant layer from vehicles and buildings.
The haze has also reached Portugal and parts of Switzerland, where the white of the ski slopes contrasts with a sky of an intense orange color. And it is expected that, on its way north, it will reach the Netherlands and even northwest Germany.
In the Swiss Alps, skiers traversed orange-tinged snow on slopes near Liechtenstein, while skies turned red over places like Payerne Air Base near Lake Neuchatel. Over Geneva, the clouds have turned yellowish orange.
The MeteoSwiss Meteorological service noted that the current dust is the third most aggressive so far this year and warned that the skies will continue to be covered in colors for several days.
Subsequently, the dust is also expected to reach the United Kingdom and Iceland, as happened last year.
With AP, EFE and local media
#haze #Sahara #spreads #Spain #Portugal #France #Switzerland