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Across Southern Europe: Saharan dust continues to spread

12:00
29 March 2024

Across Southern Europe
Saharan dust continues to spread

Saharan dust is spreading in Southern Europe, causing poor air quality due to the fine sand and leaving deposits of dust behind.

In the southern regions of Italy, skies have taken on a hazy tone. Sicily and parts of Calabria are particularly affected. The video above shows what it looked like on Wednesday in Catania in Sicily.

The desert dust from the Sahara was channelled to Europe by a strong southerly wind, it will move further into Central Europe in the coming days but is unlikely to reach the UK or Ireland.

Saharan dust satellite imageSaharan dust seen spreading over Portugal and Spain earlier this week on March 22nd. - © NASA

Last week, the Saharan dust first reached the Iberian Peninsula, with satellite images showing the dust cloud spreading across Portugal and Spain.

Ski slopes look on an orange hue in Spain as the dust, also referred to as calima, reached the country.

See more of the initial impacts with our article below.

Spain: Skies and ski slopes turn orangeread more
Weather & Radar editorial team
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