Saharan dust turns the sky orange over Europe

Desert-like ski resorts, bright orange skies and air quality five times worse than ideal conditions all have one thing in common: Saharan dust, which is expected to worsen over Western and Central Europe and even bring “bloody rain”.

A large, brown expanse of Saharan dust can be seen in many satellite images covering much of Portugal, Spain and France, leading to air quality concerns and hazy skies.

Satellite images from NASA show the Saharan dust veil over western and central Europe.

Strong winds from Storm Celia off the northwest coast of Africa picked up dust from the Sahara Desert and lifted it into the atmosphere. Southern winds then pushed the dust northward across Europe, creating unusual scenes across the region.

A video posted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) shows the chilling scene at a ski resort in Spain, where the snow appears to be sand and the sky emits a bright orange glow.

Europe can expect orange sunsets as a result of dust particles scattering the sun’s rays.

Striking orange and red sky colours are expected as the sun rises and sets, while reduced visibility and hazy skies are expected throughout the day.

With enough dust in the air to change the hues of the natural landscape across Western Europe, there is also obvious concern about air quality.

Spain, France and Portugal are particularly at risk of reduced air quality as a result of more smog dust.

On Tuesday, the European Environment Agency already measured dust concentrations in Spain more than five times above the European Union’s recommended limit for air quality, according to Copernicus, the EU’s Earth observation programme. Air quality continues to be poor in the region today.

“Air quality is recognised as vital for human health, as high dust concentrations can have respiratory health impacts on all people in the affected areas and add to air pollution from particulate matter from local sources,” Copernicus said.

Reduced air quality leaves people with respiratory problems, such as asthma, particularly vulnerable in the days ahead as air quality continues to decline.

Late this week, Storm Celia is forecast to bring rain to much of Western Europe, with heavy rainfall expected in south-eastern Spain. This potential for heavier rainfall brings the possibility of “bloody rain” to parts of Spain as rain mixes with high dust concentrations.

“It is understood that bloody rain occurs when relatively high concentrations of dust or red-coloured particles are mixed into the rain, giving it a red appearance as it falls,” the UK Met Office said.

As the rain falls through the atmosphere, it grabs dust particles in the air, causing dust deposits to fall and cover cars, houses and roads.

With more dust predicted to move into Western and Central Europe by the end of the week, there will be plenty of dust in the atmosphere to carry the rain to the surface.

Once the dust settles, Europe should expect to see the dust clear by early next week, welcoming back blue skies and increased air quality.

Saharan dust clouds are not an uncommon phenomenon in Europe.

Dust storms are a familiar phenomenon in the world of meteorology, especially in dry areas. They are usually caused by storm systems moving in an area where strong winds are able to lift dust over a large area, the WMO notes.

We will likely see more of these events in the near future. Climate change could exacerbate the transport of dust from the Sahara to Europe as wind and precipitation patterns change as a result of warming land and ocean temperatures.

Widespread desertification in North Africa and stronger winds over the Mediterranean could make these dust effects more pronounced, the research showed.

Source. cnn.gr