A cloud of dust from the Sahara hung over Athens on Thursday. Many people complained of difficulty breathing. The situation was made worse by exceptionally high air temperatures. Doctors urged people to avoid being outdoors.
The Greek capital was shrouded in thick fog on Thursday. There was dust in the air, carried by the southerly wind from the Sahara across the Mediterranean Sea.
High temperature
This type of phenomenon occurs regularly in Athens between March and April, but the current influx is accompanied by unusually high temperatures. On Wednesday, 25.3 degrees Celsius was recorded, the highest temperature in the Greek capital in March since 2009. In Crete, thermometers showed 32 degrees Celsius.
The media reported an increased number of patients who came to hospitals complaining of feeling unwell.
Athens in thick fogENEX
As the head of the national meteorological institution, Theodoros Kolydas, said on social media, a typical sandstorm with a range of 200 kilometers usually transports from 20 to 30 million tons of dust, but sometimes even up to 100 million.
Doctors' appeal
Doctors advised people suffering from asthma to avoid playing sports and staying outdoors during peak dust concentrations. The Hellenic Association of Pulmonologists warned that this dust may mix with suspended dust (PM10 and PM2.5), bacteria and fungi, creating a “highly toxic mixture, dangerous to the human body, especially the respiratory system.”
As the wind changed from the south to the northwest in the afternoon, the dust began to dissipate.
Main photo source: ENEX