Saharan sand arrived in Greece for the first time this year at the end of March. “This is one of the largest concentrations of dust and sand from the Sahara since March 2018, when sand clouds hit the island of Crete in particular,” said Kostas Lagouvardos, director of weather research at the Athens Observatory. He compared the view from the Lagouvardos meteorological station to the view from Mars.
Athens authorities have issued a health risk warning, recommending people with respiratory problems to limit their time outdoors to a minimum. According to meteorologists, it should clear up on Wednesday.
Photo: Louisa Gouliamaki, Reuters
In Athens, you can now see panoramas similar to those of the planet Mars
The Sahara annually releases 60 to 200 million tons of mineral dust. While the largest particles quickly return to earth, the smallest can travel thousands of kilometers and potentially hit the whole of Europe. This is not an unusual phenomenon, the BBC reported.
Sand from the Sahara arrived here at the end of March. Meteorologists have declared a smog situation in several regions.
Sand enters the atmosphere through a process called deflation. “It is a phenomenon in which the wind lifts and carries away fine particles of sand from the surface of the desert – mostly from the Sahara, but often from other world deserts, and is particularly common in arid regions,” states the Czech Geological Service on its website.
Photo: Petros Giannakouris, CTK/AP
Dust from the Sahara worsens air quality. Elderly people, children or pregnant women should pay attention
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