Milky skies with yellowish shades these days over many cities in Lombardy (and beyond): these are the effects of the Saharan dust which until tomorrow will be pushed towards northern Italy by southern currents, with repercussions on air quality and health.
The Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (Sima) has raised the alarm: “The dust coming from the Sahara adds to the PM2.5 and PM10 already present in the air in our atmosphere, worsening its quality even in the absence of precipitation – it explains President Alessandro Miani – The subjects most at risk are children, the elderly, heart patients and those suffering from respiratory diseases, starting from asthma: in fact, dust can also have heavy metals inside it and join the pollutants already present in the air , ending up being inhaled by humans.”
Therefore the advice is to “avoid exposure to desert dust as much as possible, especially for subjects who already suffer from respiratory disorders – he continues – The little ones are particularly at risk, both because their respiratory and immune systems are still in developing stage, and because they tend to spend more time outdoors than adults. A 2015 study highlighted, for example, that children exposed to Saharan dust have a 20% greater risk of developing respiratory infections compared to those not exposed.”
What clouds the sky, making it take on a color that in some areas even tends towards reddish, is not the Saharan sand, given that the grains are too large and heavy to be transported for such considerable distances: “It is dust, very light but potentially harmful to the respiratory tract – underlines Samantha Pilati, meteorologist at the Omd Foundation-Milan Duomo Meteorological Observatory – It was already present yesterday in our skies and the highlight is expected today, with some possible repercussions tomorrow too. Then fortunately the phenomenon will attenuate, until it disappears completely.”
Thanks to the change in air circulation, which from Saturday 22 June will effectively put an end to the flows of southern currents carrying Saharan dust: “Today and tomorrow in Milan and Lombardy scattered showers and thunderstorms will be possible, locally also of strong intensity, while on Saturday we will have good weather with a possible worsening in the evening and Sunday will in all likelihood be a very disturbed day – continues the Omd Foundation meteorologist – Temperatures will also substantially reflect this trend: if yesterday in Milan the maximum was 32.7°C, well above the average for the period, a drop is already noticeable today, but the thermometer will not fall much below 30°C until Saturday anyway”.
Things will change from June 23rd, when a “new depression structure will arrive in the Alps – as stated in the Arpa Lombardia bulletin – bringing markedly unstable weather, with falling temperatures”.
On Sunday the thermometer will therefore record a sharp drop: “We will be just above 20°C that day, but at the beginning of next week the climate will return to being more pleasant and temperatures will be around 25°C – highlights Pilati – Fortunately, the period of great heat will be short-lived”.
While waiting for temperatures to drop, the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine relaunches the indications to protect yourself from the heat: avoid exposing yourself to direct sun and only leave the house during the coolest hours; ensure adequate air exchange in the home; keep the rooms cool by screening the windows exposed to the sun (using shutters, shutters, curtains); close the windows during the day and open them during the cooler hours of the day (in the evening and at night); take frequent baths and showers with warm water; drink at least 1.5-3 liters of water during the day, avoid alcohol and prefer foods that contain a lot of water, such as fruit and vegetables; when you leave the house, protect your eyes with sunglasses and prevent sunburn with high protection factor sunscreens; wear clothes made of natural fibers (linen or cotton) and breathable clothing, preferably light in colour; avoid outdoor sporting activity during the hottest hours.
