The eerie scene created by the wave of African dust, which suffocated several regions of Greece yesterday, continues today, Wednesday 4/24.
The increased concentrations of dust covered Attica yesterday with an orange veil, making the atmosphere stifling. The dawn of Wednesday found Athens again in a cloud of dust, while the dust has also made its appearance in Thessaloniki.
With a photo from the Observatory in Penteli, meteorologist Kostas Lagouvardos compared the image to the planet Mars. “Our colony on Mars” he wrote characteristically on Facebook.
See the transport of dust in Athens:
The dust all over Greece
Yesterday the Crete disappeared into the brown veil, with temperatures reaching 30°C.
The scene in her town was eerie as well Kalamata but also in the entire prefecture of Messinia. The temperature just before 2pm had climbed to 32 degrees Celsius.
In Patras impressive differences in temperature and humidity were recorded yesterday at the two stations of the Atmospheric Physics Laboratory of the University of Patras. Yesterday at 12:00 noon the temperature in Rio was at 20.3 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity of 54.9%. At the same time, the station in Koukouli (inside the city of Patras) showed 30.1 degrees Celsius with 22.2% humidity.
African dust obscured the sky and the Ilia as can be seen from images in the port of Katakolo, on the beach of Karouta and in the area of Zaharos.
Landscape in the fog and in Chania with the mercury exceeding 35 degrees Celsius yesterday.
The dust from the satellite
Satellite data from the American NASA Aqua satellite that passed over our country on the morning of Tuesday, April 23, 2024, show in high resolution the intense wave of African dust “Minerva red» that took place in the Eastern Mediterranean region affecting Greece to a very large extent.
The shallow low in her area Latch moving towards Greece it carried very large amounts of African dust making the air quality very difficult, composing an eerie scene with a red sky.
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.
Apart from the African dust, very high temperatures were recorded in areas of Southern Greece and mainly in Crete, where the highest temperature was recorded in Falasarna of Chania with a value of 36.6°C.
Figure 2. Maximum temperatures in Greece on April 23, 2024 from the network of automatic weather stations of meteo.gr/E.A.A.
When does the African dust go away?
The cocktail of African dust, which Thodoris Kolidas describes as “Thirty-dirty” will begin to recede from today, Wednesday 4/24. According to EMY, however, it is pointed out that a significant decrease in concentrations is predicted from noon onwards, when the African dust will be limited to the east.
In Greece, we have temperature contrasts of all types of weather. From 10-15 °C in the North, up to 30 °C (and more) in the South. As for the “dirty” it covers a large part, due to dust” he says in his post on Facebook.
EMY: Dust, rain and a slight drop in temperature
In the west and the north of the mainland, clouds are predicted to temporarily increase with a few local rains according to the EMY. Isolated storms will develop in the northwest during the early morning hours and again during the night hours.
In the rest of the country, sparse clouds, occasionally thicker.
Visibility will be locally limited in continental areas in the morning hours.
Winds in the eastern island country will initially blow southeast 7 to 8, but will quickly weaken and turn to south southwest 3 to 5 and in the south 6 local to 7 Beaufort. In the rest of the areas, 4 to 6 Beaufort winds will blow from the west.
The temperature will drop slightly mainly in the west.
ATTICA
Weather: Partly cloudy.
Winds: West Northwest 4 to 5 Beaufort.
Temperature: From 14 to 24 degrees Celsius.
THESSALONIKI
Weather: A few clouds temporarily increased.
Winds: Variable 3 to 4 Beaufort.
Temperature: From 11 to 22 degrees Celsius.
MACEDONIA, THRACE
Weather: In Western Macedonia temporarily increased cloudiness with rain and possibly isolated rain in the mountains until the morning hours and gradual improvement. Few clouds in the rest of the areas. From the evening again in the west the weather will worsen.
Winds: West southwest 3 to 4 and in the east in the early morning hours 5 to 6 Beaufort.
Temperature: From 11 to 22 degrees Celsius. In western Macedonia 3 to 4 degrees lower.
IONIAN ISLANDS, EPIROS, WESTERN Mainland, WESTERN PELOPONNISE
Weather: Intermittently increased clouds in the mainland with the possibility of local rains mainly in the mountains and in the early morning hours isolated storms in the northwest. From the evening and from the west the clouds will increase again and at night in the northwest there will be local rain and isolated storms.
Winds: West northwest 4 to 5 and temporary in the morning in the Ionian locally 6 Beaufort. In the evening in the north they will turn to southwest 3 to 4 Beaufort.
Temperature: From 12 to 21 degrees Celsius. In the interior of Epirus 3 to 5 degrees lower.
EASTERN STEREA, EVIA, EASTERN PELOPONNISOS
Weather: Scattered clouds, denser at times.
Winds: Westerlies 4 to 5 and locally 6 Beaufort with weakening in the evening.
Temperature: From 13 to 23 degrees Celsius.
CYCLADES, CRETE
Weather: Partly cloudy.
Winds: Westerly 4 to 6 Beaufort and in the east in the morning southeast 7 to 8 Beaufort.
Temperature: From 15 to 22 degrees Celsius.
EAST AEGEAN ISLANDS – DODECANISE
Weather: Partly cloudy.
Winds: South southeast 6 to 7 and in the Dodecanese locally 8 Beaufort, but will quickly weaken to 4 to 6 Beaufort and locally in the southernmost parts of the Dodecanese up to 7 Beaufort.
Temperature: From 15 to 22 and in the south up to 24 degrees Celsius.
THESSALY
Weather: Scattered clouds at intervals thicker with the possibility of local rains in the midday – afternoon in the mountains.
Winds: From west directions 3 to 4 Beaufort and until noon in the Sporades southeast with the same intensity.
Temperature: From 09 to 20 degrees Celsius.
Bell from the pulmonologists
Experts reiterate the danger to health, due to the high concentration of microparticles in the air. African dust can cause exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, so patients with respiratory problems should not be exposed for long hours outside and wear masks.
“If I develop symptoms and do not know that I have a disease, I should not assume that this is the result of African dust. African dust in a healthy person does nothing. It means that I have a respiratory disease and I haven’t discovered it” points out the professor of Pulmonology and Intensive Care, EKPA Theodoros Vasilakopoulos.
