Home / Editor's Pick /

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
More on the topic
WindRadar shows the powerful Hurricane ERIN
Wednesday 20 August 2025

Waves & wind batter coast

Hurricane Erin grazes US coast
WindRadar forecast for Monday: Former Hurricane ERIN reaches Europe as an extratropical storm.
Friday 22 August 2025

Conversion to low

Hurricane Erin moves towards Europe
Weather map showing the UK and Ireland with a band of heavy rain and showers stretching from Scotland down through Liverpool, Cardiff, and into southern England. A thunderstorm symbol is marked over north-east England. Temperatures range from 16°C in Glasgow to 21°C in London, with warmer conditions on the continent reaching 28°C in Brussels. Clearer, sunnier skies are shown over eastern England and mainland Europe.
Wednesday 27 August 2025

Front on the move

Rain pushing east, risk of thunderstorms
All weather news
This might also interest you
Monday 25 August 2025

Bank holiday outlook

Warm day turning gusty in places
Mammatus clouds
Thursday 21 August 2025

Unusual view

Mammatus clouds over Ireland
Split weather map showing the UK and Ireland. The left side illustrates strong winds circulating around a low-pressure system, with gusts of 20–30 mph highlighted in orange and yellow. The right side shows radar imagery with widespread blue rain bands and patches of thunderstorms, especially over northern England and Scotland.
Thursday 28 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Remaining widely unsettled
All articles
Weather & Radar

www.weatherandradar.ie

facebooktwitteryouTubeContact uslinkList
Privacy Policy | Legal info | Accessibility statement