Dust from the Sahara reached southern Greece. It caused the sky over Athens to turn shades of brown and orange. – This intensity of this phenomenon has not been observed since 2018, said Vassilis Amiridis from the National Observatory in the Greek capital.
For several days, Saharan dust has been reaching the southern part of Greece. The peak of its inflow occurred on Wednesday. The dust turned the sky over Athens and Corinth orange. Greek cities began to take on a Martian landscape.
Dust from the Sahara flows over Greece (video without sound)Reuters
Dust from the Sahara in Greece
Dust from the Sahara has potentially negative health effects. It is particularly dangerous for people with respiratory diseases. That's why Greek authorities issued warnings on Wednesday.
The Greek Ministry of Health advised residents to stay at home and refrain from outdoor physical activity. “It is worth closing windows and doors,” the ministry wrote.
The ash cloud that reached Greece is a mixture of sand and dust from the Sahara, blown by strong winds that have traveled a very long distance.
Vassilis Amiridis of the National Observatory in Athens said that dust from the Sahara reaches Greece on average five times a year. – Such intensity of this phenomenon has not been observed since 2018 – said Amiridis. He added that the ash clouds traveled about 1,000 kilometers from Africa to Greece.
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/GEORGE VITSARAS