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Desert dust, which has been expected to move northwestward from the Sahara Desert in Africa for a while, painted the sky orange in Athens, the capital of Greece, on Wednesday after reaching Turkey earlier this week. It is stated that the city has experienced the most severe dust transport seen since 2018.
Saharan dust, carried along with the hot weather affecting Turkey via Libya, has been felt acutely in the Marmara and Aegean regions since Tuesday.
Due to the ‘desert crisis’ that began to be felt in Libya since the night of April 21, emergency measures were taken in many cities in the east, including Derna and Al-Bayda. A public holiday has been declared for Monday and Tuesday.
Turkey’s General Directorate of Meteorology (MGM) issued a yellow code warning on Wednesday for 17 provinces on the Aegean coast and Central Anatolia, including Ankara, Balıkesir, Çanakkale, İzmir, Konya and Muğla.
MGM warned to be careful and cautious against negativities such as decrease in visibility, decrease in air quality and disruptions in transportation due to dust transport in Marmara, Aegean, Western Mediterranean, western Central Anatolia and Western Black Sea.
Dust transport is expected to lose its effect in Turkey as of Friday.
Those with respiratory illnesses during dust transport are advised to limit the time they spend outdoors, wear a protective mask and avoid physical exercise outdoors until the dust clouds dissipate.
In Turkey, desert dust carried from Syria at the beginning of April particularly affected the cities in the east and southeast.
Saharan dust covered Athens
In late March and early April, the skies of Greece were again covered with Saharan dust, following dust clouds that also affected Switzerland and parts of Southern France.
While air quality decreased in many parts of the country, the Acropolis, which can be seen from almost every point in Athens, was no longer visible due to dust on Wednesday morning.
The clouds reached as far as Thessaloniki in the north.
The Sahara Desert releases 60 to 200 million tons of mineral dust annually.
Most of the dust falls to the ground quickly, but some of the smaller particles can travel great distances, sometimes reaching Europe.
Combined with the temperature above seasonal norms in Greece, it became stifling.
25 forest fires were reported in the country in the last 24 hours.
