Greek meteorologists have issued a warning about an impending surge of Sahara dust and mud rainfalls set to affect the country over the next few days. The Sahara dust wave has already commenced yesterday, Monday, April 22, and is projected to reach its peak today, Tuesday, April 23, particularly during the noon and afternoon hours.
According to forecasts from the meteorological service of the National Observatory of Athens, Tuesday, April 23, will witness significantly elevated dust concentrations, leading to reduced visibility, with mud rains expected mainly in the northern and western regions of the country.
By Wednesday, April 24, a shift in wind direction to the west will result in diminished dust levels in the Dodecanese, gradually dispersing towards the east.
In a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, he highlighted that a standard sandstorm, spanning about 200 kilometres (approximately 120 miles), transports between 20 to 30 million tonnes of dust, occasionally even reaching 100 million tonnes. Although the city is accustomed to such sandstorms, the present one coincides with unusually elevated spring temperatures, intensifying its suffocating impact.
According to director of Greece’s National Meteorological Service EMY, Thodoris Kolydas, as winds turn West-Northwest on Wednesday, there won’t be any more dust waves until the end of the week.
Images by Nick Plionis, Exploring Kythera, Greece.
