The intense wave of African dust in the Eastern Mediterranean area was recorded in high resolution by the American NASA Aqua satellite that passed over our country.
New satellite images show the extent of the African dust phenomenon that drowned the whole of Greece. The intense wave of African dust “Minerva red” that took place in the Eastern Mediterranean area affected Greece to a very large extent.
The shallow low in the Sirte area moving towards the Greece transported very large quantities of African dust making air quality very difficult, composing an eerie backdrop with a red sky.
Apart from the African dust, very high temperatures were recorded in areas of Southern Greece and especially in Crete, where the highest temperature was recorded in Falasarna of Chania with a value of 36.6°C.
Figure 1. Satellite image from NASA’s AQUA satellite on the morning of Tuesday, April 23, 2024 shows the intense African dust wave that took place in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Figure 2. Maximum temperatures in Greece on April 23, 2024 from the network of automatic weather stations of meteo.gr/E.A.A.
The wave of African Minerva Red dust has not only affected Greece. It is recalled that air traffic was suspended yesterday in eastern Libya due to of a strong sandstorm coming from the Saharawhich also caused public services and educational institutions to temporarily close, according to local authorities.
A problem was created at all the airports in the region, mainly at Benina in Benghazi where the runway was covered by a thick layer of sand.
The high levels in Crete and Peloponnese
Crete and the Peloponnese are particularly affected by the wave of dust transport from the Sahara, while the concentrations are also high in Attica, as the Research Director of the Athens Observatory, Kostas Lagouvardos, told protothema.gr. It is typical of the situation in Crete that yesterday, from 5.30-7.30 in the afternoon, concentrations of 300 micrograms of dust per cubic meter of air were recorded. Concentrations fell overnight to around 50 micrograms, and today after 2pm they began to rise rapidly. At 5pm, 430 micrograms were already being recorded and the trend continued to rise.
“From the night it will start to leave mainland Greece and from tomorrow at noon it will clear both the Peloponnese and Crete,” says Mr. Lagouvardos, noting that this episode of African dust transport is expected to end tomorrow.
The high concentrations of dust are also evident in Attica, with the atmosphere becoming suffocating in the last hours. The phenomenon is expected to recede from tomorrow at noon, however, record concentrations are already recorded in Crete, but also in the Peloponnese. There is already an increase in the number of patients with respiratory problems in hospitals, while pulmonologists recommend caution and limit movement for vulnerable groups.
The eerie scene is also reflected in a post by the meteorologist, Kostas Lagouvardou, on Facebook. Uploading a photo from the Observatory in Penteli, he writes in his post: “Our colony on Mars”.
facebookSee live the transport of African dust to Athens
As can be seen in photos and videos from Attica, an orange veil has covered the basin, creating an eerie scene.
Among other things, the area around the Parliament and the Acropolis have been covered by dust.
Tags: NASA satellite captured Minerva Red phenomenon covered Greece Images
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