New episode African dust According to Copernicus, it is expected to “cover” much of the country, which, combined with extremely high temperatures, will create a stifling atmosphere.
The “invasion” of African dust will peak on Thursday and Friday (13-14/6) with increased concentrations of coarse particles, PM10.
Forecasts indicate an episode of Saharan dust transport crossing the central and eastern Mediterranean, resulting in high suspended particulate matter concentrations in areas such as Greece within days.
As a result, air quality will deteriorate significantly and the sky will be covered with a thick layer of dust.
Mark Parrington, head of the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service, notes that “Dust transport from the Sahara to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea is not unusual. However, in recent years, some parts of Europe have seen an increase in the intensity and frequency of these episodes, making it necessary to continue monitoring them to understand how air quality may change.”
For his part, Vassilis Ameridis, Research Director of the National Observatory of Athens (NOA) in Greece, emphasizes that: “The National Observatory constantly monitors the evolution of African dust transport episodes in Greece, in order to inform the population about their seriousness. and their possible impact on air quality”.