Saharan dust has spread over the Mediterranean Sea

At the end of February, a deep sedentary cyclone formed over the Mediterranean, causing a series of adverse weather in Southern Europe. In two days in Italy, up to 100-150 mm of precipitation, much of it in a few hours. In the Southern Alps, the snow cover has grown by 50-100 cm.

At the same time, a dust storm broke out in north Africa. With the southerly currents known as the sultry sirocco wind, the dust lifted into the atmosphere spread to Europe.

The MODIS radio spectrometer on the Aqua satellite took a picture of a moving dust cloud on February 28.

During heavy dust emissions, the atmosphere turns whitish over vast areas. At very high concentrations, the sky turns orange. The colors of the sky are especially dramatic during sunrises and sunsets.

Dust usually spreads in a layer of 2 to 4 km. Over time, the "particles of the Sahara" settle to the ground, often together with precipitation, painting the landscapes in an unusual ochre color.