20+1 eerie images of the African dust that “swallowed” Athens – The “Minerva red” phenomenon

The African dust that arrived yesterday (23/4) in our country covered the capital, creating an eerie and suffocating scene in the afternoon.

Everything was painted orange yesterday, with the center of Athens resembling… the Sahara. As experts had warned, the intensity of the phenomenon was very intense, which caused a particular problem for people belonging to vulnerable groups. It is characteristic that on Tuesday, attendances at the emergency rooms of hospitals increased significantly.

The following images by Christos Bonis and Giorgos Kontarinis from the Eurokinissi photo agency capture yesterday’s situation in Athens. The phenomenon was particularly intense in relation to the previous wave of African dust that had visited us a few days ago – but not unprecedented for the country – since, for example, in 2018 similar images were recorded around this time.

The orange sky, naturally, was also heavily commented on social media, with many likening the scene to a scene from a movie. As experts reported a little later, this is the “Minerva red” phenomenon.

Images of the African dust that “swallowed” Athens: