Huge dust cloud from the Sahara envelops the Caribbean

A huge cloud of Saharan dust has darkened the skies over parts of the Caribbean.

Dust has been moving from Africa over the Atlantic Ocean.

On Sunday he arrived in Puerto Rico and has since covered Cuba and parts of Mexico.

The Caribbean islands of Guadalupe and Martinique are suffering from their worst haze for at least a decade, and health officials in Cuba warn that it could increase respiratory problems.

The dust cloud is also affecting parts of South Florida, including the city of Miami.

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‘Unusually large dust area’

Analysis by BBC Weather presenter Simon King

Dust and sand storms are not uncommon in desert regions of the world. Winds can whip up dust, up to 2 billion tons each year, high in our atmosphere and is transported many miles from the source.

Dust and sand provide a source of nutrients for ocean ecosystems, but can also affect the climate and health of humans with respiratory problems.

Dust leaving the Sahara into the Atlantic is a common occurrence and is known as the Saharan layer of dry air. Later in the hurricane season it can inhibit the growth of tropical storms that develop around Cape Verde and the mid-Atlantic.

However, during the last week we have had an unusually large area of ​​dust that crosses the Atlantic and affects Central and North America. This is going to happen over the weekend. Meanwhile, another large area of ​​dust has been seen in satellite imagery emerging from the Sahara and crossing the Atlantic.

Poor visibility and air quality are forecast to continue in parts of the Caribbean and Central America over the coming week.

On Sunday, it was the Venezuelan capital Caracas that saw its neighborhoods surrounded by mists.

Tourists in San Juan in Puerto Rico obtained more sand than they had negotiated on Monday.

Bridgetown in Barbados also appeared covered in yellow dust on Monday.

In Cuba, people stopped to take pictures of the yellow sky on Wednesday.

Cuban health officials warned residents that those with asthma and other respiratory problems may see their conditions worsen.

Cuban meteorologist José Rubiera said that while the Sahara dust clouds were not unusual, the density of the current one was “well above normal levels.”

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