A dust cloud from the Sahara Desert blanketing regions from Jamaica to the eastern Caribbean is expected to reach Florida and the Gulf region of the United States this week.
The cloud, also called a dust plume, extended around 2,000 miles, reaching most of the Caribbean on Monday. The dust should hit Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi late this week and remain throughout the weekend, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva told the Associated Press.
“It’s very impressive,” DaSilva said.
Earlier this week, residents across the Caribbean experienced sneezes, coughs, and irritated eyes due to the dust-filled air. Those prone to allergies, asthma, and other conditions are recommended to stay indoors or wear face masks outside.
The plume covering the area has the largest dust concentration this year so far at a .55 aerosol optical depth, which San Juan, Puerto Rico National Weather Service forecaster Yidiana Zayas described as a high amount.
The Caribbean islands see the most impact from dust plumes, which can sometimes be heavy enough to block out the sunlight. As the aerosol optical depth amount increases, more sunlight is obscured by aerosols like smoke, dust, and haze.
As plumes travel over the eastern Caribbean, they often lose their concentration, DaSilva said. As a result, the U.S. regions where the plume is headed may only see a small impact on air quality, and the dust should not cause any major problems.
“Florida could see hazy skies and more colorful sunsets enhanced by the dust from Africa as early as Thursday,” DaSilva said in a report by AccuWeather.
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Dust plumes are not uncommon for the spring and summer seasons because the Saharan air layer, made of dry and dusty air, forms over the African desert and travels west across the Atlantic Ocean starting around April and lasting through October each year.
The highest dust concentration usually occurs throughout June and July, DeSilva said, and can reach anywhere from 5,000 feet to 20,000 feet about the ground. A record breaking dust cloud deemed as “Godzilla dust cloud” by forecasters occurred in June 2020.