Dust clouds originating from the Sahara Desert are drifting over large parts of Europe, resulting in orange-tinted cities. Storm Celia has caused a depression over Morocco and Algeria, and winds have carried sand particles over the Mediterranean that have now settled over Switzerland, Spain and France.
Spain’s weather service described the dust as ‘extraordinary and very intense’, and the country’s national air quality index qualified the capital and large parts of the south-east coast as ‘extremely unfavourable’, reports Daily Mail.
The United Kingdom is also expected to be affected by poor air quality.
This phenomenon is not uncommon, and authorities in affected countries have advised residents to keep indoors where possible, and those suffering from respiratory health issues like asthma to wear face masks and carry inhalers with them at all times.
Storm Celia: dust from the Sahara turns the sky orange over Europe https://t.co/W21QUOJDr7 pic.twitter.com/q8wF5Y0uiJ
— The National (@TheNationalNews) March 15, 2022
🟤 Les remontées de #sable du #Sahara sont majeures en #Espagne ce 14 mars 2022 ! Images depuis #Aguilas dans la région de #Murcie où le ciel est totalement orange ! Ces poussières vont survoler la France demain. pic.twitter.com/UU3rrEVDJl
— Guillaume Séchet (@Meteovilles) March 14, 2022
this is Spain sky in Europe but the dust is from Sahara in Africa that’s how close it is to Africa if in Spain you see Africa with naked eyes.. https://t.co/KzFsSH9XvB
— Mullah Baradah Khoure (@JimmyJa75006676) March 16, 2022
!!! #Sahara #StormCelia #Spain #GlobalCrisis
We are people #WeWant2Live https://t.co/7dRzrYuv5n— Olga Bortnyuk (@OlgaBortnyuk) March 16, 2022
ALSO READ