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cloud of dust have engross Athens and other Hellenic cities , turn the sky an apocalyptic orange .
The dust originated from theSaharadesert and bodge across the Mediterranean Sea on strong northwesterly winds , reach out Greece Tuesday ( April 23 ) . Skies over the Acropolis and other Greek watershed turned a dramatic , fiery hue , actuate Greek authorities to issue a health word of advice over okay dust particles in the air .
A reddish dust cloud from the Sahara desert covers the Acropolis on April 23, 2024 in Athens, Greece.
The case is predicted to clear from Wednesday onward as winds start blowing eastwards .
" The strong Saharan dust transport case yell Minerva Red that is occurring in our country is expected to recede,“Lagouvardos Kostas , a meteorologist and enquiry director at the National Observatory of Athens , wrotein a Facebook Emily Price Post . " The dominance of west - nor'-west winds will lead in the progressive carry-over of high dust assiduity to the Aegean , while on Thursday [ April 25 ] the high concentrations of dust will be discover in the Dodecanese , " Greek island in the southeasterly Aegean Sea .
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In anApril 23 Facebook billet , Kostas compared Athens smother by the orange fog to a " dependency onMars . "
The atmospheric condition event is " one of the most serious episodes of dust and guts concentrations from the Sahara since March 21 - 22 , 2018 , when the clouds invaded the island of Crete in particular , " Kostastold the France Media Agency ( AFP ) and Associated Press ( AP ) .
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But Saharan rubble storms are relatively common , with swarm antecedently riding northerly nothingness to Greece in late March and early April . junk storms earlier this month also carry fine corpuscle to Switzerland and southern France , the AFP and AP report .
Between 66 million and 220 million tons ( 60 million to 200 million metric tons ) of mineral dust are whipped up from the Sahara every yr , fit in to the AP . The largest particles speedily fall back down , but the smallest specks can locomote grand of statute mile across Europe . Saharan dust clouds can also cross the Atlantic Ocean , sometimes strain andproviding fertiliser for the Amazon .
