Eerie, orange skies loom over Athens as dust storm engulfs southern Greece

A view of Greek ruins, including the Parthenon, with a reddish haze from a dust storm.

Clouds of dust have engulfed Athens and other Greek cities, turning the sky an apocalyptic orange.

The dust originated from the Sahara desert and blew across the Mediterranean Sea on strong northwesterly winds, reaching Greece Tuesday (April 23). Skies over the Acropolis and other Greek landmarks turned a dramatic, fiery hue, prompting Greek authorities to issue a health warning over fine dust particles in the air.