Massive plume of dust barrels toward Florida
The plume is predicted to hit South Florida by Wednesday and the Gulf States a few days later, but locals could begin seeing dust hanging in the atmosphere sooner. Experts warn that it can make breathing difficult, especially for people with asthma, allergies, or other respiratory issues, because it carries fine particles that can irritate the lungs.
As of Monday, t he cloud extended roughly 2,000 miles from Jamaica to well past Barbados in the eastern Caribbean, and about 750 miles from the Turks and Caicos Islands in the north down to Trinidad and Tobago in the south. 'It's very impressive,' said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert with AccuWeather.
While the plume is moving toward the US, DaSilva said it likely lost most of its concentration in the eastern Caribbean. 'Those islands tend to see more of an impact, more of a concentration where it can actually block out the sun a little bit at times,' he added. Scientists in Florida have reported seeing slightly hazy skies. Pictured: A general view of San Salvador as dust carried by winds from the Sahara desert shrouds city, in El Salvador June 25, 2020.
Joseph Prospero, professor emeritus at the University of Miami Center for Aerosol Science and Technology, told The New York Times: 'Typically we have nice blue skies, but with the dust, the whole sky looks soft and warm because the particles themselves are red.' 'Everything looks muted,' he added.
The dry and dusty air known as the Saharan Air Layer forms over the Sahara Desert in Africa and moves west across the Atlantic Ocean starting around April until about October. Each summer, seasonal weather patterns like the West African Monsoon and high-pressure systems create strong winds that sweep across the Sahara. These winds pick up tiny particles known as aeolian dust and lift them into the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the Bermuda-Azores High, a high-pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean, produces steady east-to-west winds that help carry the dust across the ocean. It also prevents tropical waves from forming during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30. June and July usually have the highest dust concentration on average, with plumes traveling anywhere from 5,000 feet to 20,000 feet above the ground, DaSilva said.
In June 2020, a massive Saharan dust cloud, nicknamed the 'Godzilla plume,' swept from West Africa across the Atlantic, bringing hazy skies from Texas to the Carolinas. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) called it the largest event in nearly 50 years, with reduced visibility and air quality alerts issued across multiple states. Then in July 2023, another thick wave of Saharan dust blanketed Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, turning skies orange and pushing air quality into 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' in cities like Miami and Houston.
This year's plume is different as it's earlier, denser, and more concentrated, with higher levels of fine particles. As a result, health officials and meteorologists are keeping a close eye on its impact. The size and intensity of these dust clouds vary from year to year, but scientists believe that shifting wind patterns and climate change may be contributing to more frequent and powerful plumes.
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