#Greek #Sky #Orange #Shadowed #Saharan #Dust
Jakarta –
The city of Athens in Greece is experiencing a unique phenomenon. The sky is orange, and a large mass of Sahara Desert dust looms over it.
Collect BBC, Thursday (25/4/2024), a dramatic orange fog has descended over the city of Athens. That’s when clouds of dust blow from the Sahara Desert.
This is one of the worst episodes to hit Greece since 2018, according to officials. Greece had been hit by similar clouds in late March and early April, which also covered areas of Switzerland and southern France.
Skies are expected to clear on Wednesday, the Greek weather service said.
Air quality has worsened in many areas of the country. And on Wednesday morning, the Acropolis in Athens was no longer visible because of the dust. The clouds have reached as far north as Thessaloniki.
Sahara Desert Storm in Athens Greece (Photo: BBC)
Greeks with respiratory problems have been urged to limit their time outdoors, wear protective masks and avoid physical exercise until the dust cloud clears.
The Sahara Desert releases 60 to 200 million tons of mineral dust per year. Most of the dust quickly descends to Earth, but some small particles can travel great distances, sometimes reaching Europe.
The atmosphere, especially in southern Greece, becomes very hot due to the combination of dust and high temperatures. Meteorologist Kostas Lagouvardos compared the view from one weather station to the planet Mars.
The fire department on Tuesday reported 25 forest fires in the last 24 hours. One fire broke out near a naval base on the island of Crete, where temperatures soared above 30C and homes and a kindergarten had to be evacuated, according to local reports.
Watch the video “Train accident kills 57 people, demonstrators protest in Athens”
(msl/fem)
