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Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Massive Saharan dust cloud approaching Florida, Texas
Massive clouds of Sahara Desert dust are moving over the Atlantic toward Central and North America, with the possibility of reaching Florida and other states, including Texas, this week. The dust has covered parts of the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Haiti, and is projected to reach states along the Gulf Coast, like Mississippi and Alabama. 'The dust is due to a two to 2.5-mile-thick layer of the atmosphere, called the Saharan Air Layer, crossing over the Atlantic Ocean,' the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Wednesday. 'The warmth, dryness and strong winds associated with this layer have been shown to suppress tropical cyclone formation and intensification.' When the dust gets to the U.S., it can cause 'hazy skies as well as vivid sunrises and sunsets as the sun's rays scatter the dust in the atmosphere,' according to NOAA. The agency added that the dust can also 'suppress thunderstorm development over locations where the dust is especially thick.' The dust moves across the Atlantic from Africa every year, often called the Saharan Air Layer (SAL), which forms during late spring, summer and early fall, according to NOAA. 'SAL outbreaks can form when ripples in the lower-to-middle atmosphere, called tropical waves, track along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert and loft vast amounts of dust into the atmosphere,' said Jason Dunion, a University of Miami hurricane researcher who works with NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. 'As the SAL crosses the Atlantic, it usually occupies a 2 to 2.5-mile-thick layer of the atmosphere with its base starting about 1 mile above the surface,' Dunion said Sunday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
a day ago
- Climate
- The Hill
Massive Saharan dust cloud approaching Florida, Texas
Massive clouds of the Sahara Desert dust are moving over the Atlantic toward Central and North America, with the possibility of reaching Florida and other states, including Texas, this week. The dust has covered parts of the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Haiti, and is projected to reach Mississippi and Alabama. 'The dust is due to a two to 2.5-mile-thick layer of the atmosphere, called the Saharan Air Layer, crossing over the Atlantic Ocean,' the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Wednesday. 'The warmth, dryness and strong winds associated with this layer have been shown to suppress tropical cyclone formation and intensification.' When the dust gets to the U.S., it can cause 'hazy skies as well as vivid sunrises and sunsets as the sun's rays scatter the dust in the atmosphere,' according to the NOAA. The agency added that the dust can also 'suppress thunderstorm development over locations where the dust is especially thick.' The dust moves across the Atlantic from Africa every year, often called the Saharan Air Layer, which forms during late spring, summer and early fall, according to the NOAA. 'SAL outbreaks can form when ripples in the lower-to-middle atmosphere, called tropical waves, track along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert and loft vast amounts of dust into the atmosphere,' said Dr. Jason Dunion, a University of Miami hurricane researcher who works with NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. 'As the SAL crosses the Atlantic, it usually occupies a 2 to 2.5-mile-thick layer of the atmosphere with its base starting about 1 mile above the surface,' Dunion said on Sunday.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Massive Saharan dust plume is heading for Florida
Saharan dust is heading toward Florida and could be seen over the state by this weekend, radar shows. Dust is forecast to hit south and central Florida on Saturday and stay for at least several days, according to CBS Miami's NEXT Weather radar. Computer models show that after an initial dust wave, a larger and denser plume could be seen in Florida by the middle of next week, CBS Orlando affiliate WKMG reports. Radar also shows dust over south Texas on Monday. Saharan dust was already seen in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands this week, the National Weather Service in San Juan reported on Tuesday. It noted dust impacts included reduced visibility and hazy skies, and said more dust is forecast to move in Saturday and linger through at least Tuesday. Satellite imagery showed dust above most of the Atlantic's tropical waters on Thursday — spanning all the way from Africa's coast to the Gulf, the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch said in a post on X. It noted that the dry air suppresses the development of storms. Hurricane season officially starts on Sunday. It is typical for dust to move across the Atlantic every year in early summer, WKMG reports. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it is called the Saharan Air Layer, which is "a mass of very dry, dusty air that forms over the Sahara Desert during the late spring, summer and early fall." Its activity usually "ramps up" in the middle of June before peaking from late in the month to the middle of August, meteorologist Jason Dunion told NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service back in 2020. New "outbreaks" — formed when "ripples" in the atmosphere along the edge of the Sahara Desert kick up dust — can occur every few days and reach as far west as Florida and Texas. Dust sometimes covers areas over the Atlantic as large as the continental United States, Dunion said. The National Weather service said the dust can impact allergies and lead to eye irritation. SpaceX loses contact with its Starship, spins out of control Sneak peek: My Mother's Murder Trials - Part 1 Latest Israeli proposal includes Hamas hostage release timing, temporary ceasefire, official says
