WNYUZ
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • World
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Tech
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • World
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Tech
No Result
View All Result
WNYUZ
No Result
View All Result
Home News

A colossal cloud of Sahara dust is smothering the Caribbean en route to the US

June 3, 2025
in News
Yahoo news home
491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A massive cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert blanketed most of the Caribbean on Monday in the biggest event of its kind this year as it heads toward the United States.

The cloud extended some 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) from Jamaica to well past Barbados in the eastern Caribbean, and some 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from the Turks and Caicos Islands in the northern Caribbean down south to Trinidad and Tobago.

“It’s very impressive,” said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert with AccuWeather.

The hazy skies unleashed sneezes, coughs and watery eyes across the Caribbean, with local forecasters warning that those with allergies, asthma and other conditions should remain indoors or wear face masks if outdoors.

The dust concentration was high, at .55 aerosol optical depth, the highest amount so far this year, said Yidiana Zayas, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The aerosol optical depth measures how much direct sunlight is prevented from reaching the ground by particles, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The plume is expected to hit Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi late this week and into the weekend, DaSilva said.

However, plumes usually lose most of their concentration in the eastern Caribbean, he noted.

“Those islands tend to see more of an impact, more of a concentration where it can actually block out the sun a little bit at times,” he said.

The dry and dusty air known as the Saharan Air Layer forms over the Sahara Desert in Africa and moves west across the Atlantic Ocean starting around April until about October, according to NOAA. It also prevents tropical waves from forming during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to Nov. 30.

June and July usually have the highest dust concentration on average, with plumes traveling anywhere from 5,000 feet to 20,000 feet above the ground, DaSilva said.

In June 2020, a record-breaking cloud of Sahara dust smothered the Caribbean. The size and concentration of the plume hadn’t been seen in half a century, prompting forecasters to nickname it the “Godzilla dust cloud.”

The post A colossal cloud of Sahara dust is smothering the Caribbean en route to the US appeared first on Associated Press.

Tags: Alex DaSilvaAssociated PressCaribbeaneastern CaribbeanNational Weather ServicePuerto RicoSahara DesertSAN JUANYahooYahoo News
Share196Tweet123Share
Yahoo news home
News

House Ethics report finds AOC ‘impermissibly accepted gifts’ related to 2021 Met Gala appearance

July 26, 2025

The House Ethics Committee found that Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “impermissibly accepted gifts” in connection with her 2021 appearance at ...

Read more
News

To former prosecutors, DOJ interview with Ghislaine Maxwell looked unorthodox

July 26, 2025
News

Maxwell’s lawyer says she’s undecided on appearing for congressional testimony

July 25, 2025
News

The good, the bad, and the just plain weird

July 25, 2025
News

Lori Vallow Daybell receives life in prison for 2 Arizona murder conspiracy convictions

July 25, 2025
US Criticizes Macron for Opting to Recognize Palestinian State

US Criticizes Macron for Opting to Recognize Palestinian State

July 25, 2025
Yahoo entertainment home

‘South Park’s Trey Parker Deadpans At Comic-Con In Response To Donald Trump’s Reaction To Season 27 Premiere: “We’re Terribly Sorry”

July 25, 2025
Yahoo news home

Trump says he hasn’t considered pardoning Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell

July 25, 2025

© 2025 WNyuz.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • World
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Tech

© 2025 WNyuz.com