Latest news with #YidianaZayas
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Huge Sahara dust cloud to impact Florida, Louisiana, and more this week
The Brief A large Sahara dust cloud is stretching across the Caribbean toward the US. It's the most significant dust event of the year so far, according to meteorologists. Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama could see impacts by the weekend. LOS ANGELES - A sprawling dust plume from the Sahara Desert is making its way across the Atlantic Ocean, blanketing the Caribbean in haze and stirring up health concerns. The system, the biggest of its kind so far in 2025, is expected to reach parts of the southern United States—including Florida and Gulf Coast states—later this week. The plume has already caused sneezing, coughing, and reduced visibility across the Caribbean. Experts say the Saharan Air Layer can also impact weather patterns by suppressing hurricane development, making this dust event particularly notable as the Atlantic storm season gets underway. By the numbers According to the National Weather Service and AccuWeather, the current plume is: 2,000 miles wide from Jamaica to past Barbados 750 miles long from Turks and Caicos to Trinidad and Tobago The dust concentration, measured at .55 aerosol optical depth, is the highest recorded so far this year. That metric indicates how much sunlight is blocked by airborne particles. What's next The dust is expected to arrive in parts of the southern United States—especially Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi—by late this week and into the weekend, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva. While much of the dust thins out before reaching the mainland, elevated levels can still affect air quality and reduce visibility. Why you should care The Saharan Air Layer forms over Africa and travels westward across the Atlantic between April and October. While the dry air can suppress hurricane formation, it also carries fine dust particles that may cause respiratory irritation, especially in people with asthma or allergies. Caribbean health officials are urging people to stay indoors or wear face masks when outside. These plumes usually reach their peak concentration in June and July, with dust traveling at altitudes between 5,000 and 20,000 feet. What they're saying "It's very impressive," said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert at AccuWeather, referring to the scope of the dust event. "This is the highest amount so far this year," said Yidiana Zayas, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico, referencing the .55 aerosol optical depth reading. The Source This article is based on Associated Press reporting from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and includes meteorological data and expert commentary from the U.S. National Weather Service, NOAA, and AccuWeather.
The Independent
03-06-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
A colossal cloud of Sahara dust is smothering the Caribbean en route to the US
A massive cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert blanketed most of the Caribbean on Monday in the biggest event of its kind this year as it heads toward the United States. The cloud extended some 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) from Jamaica to well past Barbados in the eastern Caribbean, and some 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from the Turks and Caicos Islands in the northern Caribbean down south to Trinidad and Tobago. 'It's very impressive,' said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert with AccuWeather. The hazy skies unleashed sneezes, coughs and watery eyes across the Caribbean, with local forecasters warning that those with allergies, asthma and other conditions should remain indoors or wear face masks if outdoors. The dust concentration was high, at .55 aerosol optical depth, the highest amount so far this year, said Yidiana Zayas, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aerosol optical depth measures how much direct sunlight is prevented from reaching the ground by particles, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The plume is expected to hit Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi late this week and into the weekend, DaSilva said. However, plumes usually lose most of their concentration in the eastern Caribbean, he noted. '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 said. 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, according to NOAA. It also prevents tropical waves from forming during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to Nov. 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 record-breaking cloud of Sahara dust smothered the Caribbean. The size and concentration of the plume hadn't been seen in half a century, prompting forecasters to nickname it the 'Godzilla dust cloud.'
The Advertiser
02-06-2025
- Climate
- The Advertiser
Sahara dust cloud smothers Caribbean, approaches US
A massive cloud of dust from the Sahara desert has blanketed most of the Caribbean in the biggest event of its kind this year as it heads toward the United States. The cloud extended about 3200km from Jamaica to well past Barbados in the eastern Caribbean, and 1200km from the Turks and Caicos Islands in the northern Caribbean down south to Trinidad and Tobago. "It's very impressive," said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert with AccuWeather. The hazy skies unleashed sneezes, coughs and watery eyes across the Caribbean, with local forecasters warning that those with allergies, asthma and other conditions should remain indoors or wear face masks if outdoors. The dust concentration was high, at .55 aerosol optical depth, the highest amount so far this year, said Yidiana Zayas, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aerosol optical depth measures how much direct sunlight is prevented from reaching the ground by particles, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The plume is expected to hit Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi late this week and into the weekend, DaSilva said. However, plumes usually lose most of their concentration in the eastern Caribbean, he noted. "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 said. 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, according to NOAA. It also prevents tropical waves from forming during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30. In June 2020, a record-breaking cloud of Sahara dust smothered the Caribbean. The size and concentration of the plume had not been seen in half a century, prompting forecasters to nickname it the "Godzilla dust cloud". A massive cloud of dust from the Sahara desert has blanketed most of the Caribbean in the biggest event of its kind this year as it heads toward the United States. The cloud extended about 3200km from Jamaica to well past Barbados in the eastern Caribbean, and 1200km from the Turks and Caicos Islands in the northern Caribbean down south to Trinidad and Tobago. "It's very impressive," said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert with AccuWeather. The hazy skies unleashed sneezes, coughs and watery eyes across the Caribbean, with local forecasters warning that those with allergies, asthma and other conditions should remain indoors or wear face masks if outdoors. The dust concentration was high, at .55 aerosol optical depth, the highest amount so far this year, said Yidiana Zayas, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aerosol optical depth measures how much direct sunlight is prevented from reaching the ground by particles, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The plume is expected to hit Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi late this week and into the weekend, DaSilva said. However, plumes usually lose most of their concentration in the eastern Caribbean, he noted. "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 said. 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, according to NOAA. It also prevents tropical waves from forming during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30. In June 2020, a record-breaking cloud of Sahara dust smothered the Caribbean. The size and concentration of the plume had not been seen in half a century, prompting forecasters to nickname it the "Godzilla dust cloud". A massive cloud of dust from the Sahara desert has blanketed most of the Caribbean in the biggest event of its kind this year as it heads toward the United States. The cloud extended about 3200km from Jamaica to well past Barbados in the eastern Caribbean, and 1200km from the Turks and Caicos Islands in the northern Caribbean down south to Trinidad and Tobago. "It's very impressive," said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert with AccuWeather. The hazy skies unleashed sneezes, coughs and watery eyes across the Caribbean, with local forecasters warning that those with allergies, asthma and other conditions should remain indoors or wear face masks if outdoors. The dust concentration was high, at .55 aerosol optical depth, the highest amount so far this year, said Yidiana Zayas, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aerosol optical depth measures how much direct sunlight is prevented from reaching the ground by particles, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The plume is expected to hit Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi late this week and into the weekend, DaSilva said. However, plumes usually lose most of their concentration in the eastern Caribbean, he noted. "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 said. 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, according to NOAA. It also prevents tropical waves from forming during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30. In June 2020, a record-breaking cloud of Sahara dust smothered the Caribbean. The size and concentration of the plume had not been seen in half a century, prompting forecasters to nickname it the "Godzilla dust cloud". A massive cloud of dust from the Sahara desert has blanketed most of the Caribbean in the biggest event of its kind this year as it heads toward the United States. The cloud extended about 3200km from Jamaica to well past Barbados in the eastern Caribbean, and 1200km from the Turks and Caicos Islands in the northern Caribbean down south to Trinidad and Tobago. "It's very impressive," said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert with AccuWeather. The hazy skies unleashed sneezes, coughs and watery eyes across the Caribbean, with local forecasters warning that those with allergies, asthma and other conditions should remain indoors or wear face masks if outdoors. The dust concentration was high, at .55 aerosol optical depth, the highest amount so far this year, said Yidiana Zayas, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aerosol optical depth measures how much direct sunlight is prevented from reaching the ground by particles, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The plume is expected to hit Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi late this week and into the weekend, DaSilva said. However, plumes usually lose most of their concentration in the eastern Caribbean, he noted. "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 said. 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, according to NOAA. It also prevents tropical waves from forming during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30. In June 2020, a record-breaking cloud of Sahara dust smothered the Caribbean. The size and concentration of the plume had not been seen in half a century, prompting forecasters to nickname it the "Godzilla dust cloud".
CBC
02-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Huge Sahara dust cloud smothers the Caribbean en route to the U.S.
Social Sharing A massive cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert blanketed most of the Caribbean on Monday in the biggest event of its kind this year as it heads toward the United States. The cloud extended some 3,200 kilometres from Jamaica to well past Barbados in the eastern Caribbean, and some 1,200 kilometres from the Turks and Caicos Islands in the northern Caribbean down south to Trinidad and Tobago. "It's very impressive," said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert with AccuWeather. The hazy skies unleashed sneezes, coughs and watery eyes across the Caribbean, with local forecasters warning that those with allergies, asthma and other conditions should remain indoors or wear face masks if outdoors. The dust concentration was high, at 0.55 aerosol optical depth — the highest amount so far this year, said Yidiana Zayas, a forecaster with the U.S. National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aerosol optical depth measures how much direct sunlight is prevented from reaching the ground by particles, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. WATCH | When Sahara sand, dust blew into U.K. in 2014: Sahara sand, dust blows into U.K. 11 years ago Duration 1:59 Gale force winds carried particles more than 3,000 kilometres north This plume is expected to hit Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi late this week and into the weekend, DaSilva said. However, plumes usually lose most of their concentration in the eastern Caribbean, he noted. "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 said. 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, according to NOAA. It also prevents tropical waves from forming during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to Nov. 30. June and July usually have the highest dust concentration on average, with plumes traveling anywhere from 1,500 metres (5,000 feet) to 6,100 metres (20,000 feet) above the ground, DaSilva said. In June 2020, a record-breaking cloud of Sahara dust smothered the Caribbean. The size and concentration of the plume hadn't been seen in half a century, prompting forecasters to nickname it the "Godzilla dust cloud."
Associated Press
02-06-2025
- Climate
- Associated Press
A colossal cloud of Sahara dust is smothering the Caribbean en route to the US
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A massive cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert blanketed most of the Caribbean on Monday in the biggest event of its kind this year as it heads toward the United States. The cloud extended some 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) from Jamaica to well past Barbados in the eastern Caribbean, and some 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from the Turks and Caicos Islands in the northern Caribbean down south to Trinidad and Tobago. 'It's very impressive,' said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert with AccuWeather. The hazy skies unleashed sneezes, coughs and watery eyes across the Caribbean, with local forecasters warning that those with allergies, asthma and other conditions should remain indoors or wear face masks if outdoors. The dust concentration was high, at .55 aerosol optical depth, the highest amount so far this year, said Yidiana Zayas, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aerosol optical depth measures how much direct sunlight is prevented from reaching the ground by particles, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The plume is expected to hit Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi late this week and into the weekend, DaSilva said. However, plumes usually lose most of their concentration in the eastern Caribbean, he noted. '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 said. 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, according to NOAA. It also prevents tropical waves from forming during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to Nov. 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 record-breaking cloud of Sahara dust smothered the Caribbean. The size and concentration of the plume hadn't been seen in half a century, prompting forecasters to nickname it the 'Godzilla dust cloud.'
