Sand from the desert, large Saharan cloud towards Italy, we’ll tell you when it will arrive

Article dated 04/27/2024
2.00 pm
by Mattia Gussoni Meteorologist

In the next few days a large cloud of Saharan dust will cross the Mediterranean basin towards Italy and the heart of Europe until it reaches Scandinavia. In short, after a long cold phase characterized by currents of Arctic origin, the situation is about to change with the return of warm breath from North Africa.

Dust storms originating in the Sahara desert are relatively common phenomena that occur more or less periodically; these events occur when strong gusts of wind in the Sahara desert they raise large quantities of dust and sand in the atmosphere, carrying them over great distances. The dust can then be transported for thousands of kilometres, hitting regions far from the desert itself due to the large movements triggered by the prevailing atmospheric figures and high-altitude winds.

These immense clouds formed by Saharan dust they often affect countries in North Africa, Europe and even the Americas, influencing weather patterns, the air quality it’s the same visibility. Just in the last few days a vast cloud of desert dust has affected the Greece also fully investing the capital Athens as can be seen in video below.

A visual spectacle that however hides quite a few problems. The high concentrations of sand in fact, they reduce sunlight and visibility in the air and also contribute to increasing the level of polluting particles with consequent health risks for the most vulnerable people suffering from respiratory diseases.

From Sunday 28 April this particular phenomenon could also recur in Italyparticularly on the extreme regions of northwest where, thanks to precipitation, it will fall to the ground, dirtying all surfaces. In mountainous areas you can also see the red snow (the dust particles in fact aggregate to the snowflakes, then falling to the ground).

And it doesn’t end here because from Wednesday 1 May the arrival of an insidious event disturbance it will favor the settling on the ground of all the dust present in the atmosphere in many of our regions. Not only that, let’s also expect yellowish or reddish skies that will keep us company especially during sunset or when sunlight manages to play with the dust in suspension.