Sand dust from North Africa will once again turn the sky orange this weekend in south-eastern and eastern France. This phenomena will have consequences for both human health and the health of the planet.
A new episode of sand clouds from the Sahara is expected at the end of the week due to the Sirocco, the dry and hot wind that blows over North Africa and the southern Mediterranean Sea.
The sandy dust will fly over mainly south-eastern France, according to Météo-Contact.
France experienced a similar episode on 15 March, colouring the sky with yellow and ochre and covering streets and vehicles with a sandy layer.
Several other notable but smaller sand cloud episodes followed at the end of March and throughout April and May.
🔴 Info | Le sable du Sahara va faire son retour d'ici la fin de semaine, notamment dans le Sud-Est, puis l'Est. Le nuage sableux persistera probablement jusqu'en début de semaine prochaine. Le Nord et l'Ouest seront peu concernés !
— Météo-Contact (@MeteoContact) May 30, 2022
➡ https://t.co/5bblOVFZ2w pic.twitter.com/q6UKETvyTu
Potential health effects
The World Health Organization recommends that people should not be exposed to such dust when it "exceeds the threshold of 45 micrograms/m3 as a daily average".
Dust particles can cause respiratory diseases, carry infectious micro-organisms or heavy metals, or particles of any kind that are harmful to health.
Some scientific studies point out that these episodes could become more frequent with global warming, drought and desertification.
Adverse effects include rainfall that contains high concentrations of snow that causes large, dry deposits that reduce visibility and can damage machinery.
Sandstrorms can also affect snow-covered peaks, giving beautiful landscapes but causing accelerated snowmelt.
A few weeks ago, heavy sandstorms paralysed Iraq, a country that is very exposed to this sort of weather phenomena.
Dust particles also have beneficial effects on the planet. They allow clouds to form or provide shade from sunlight, which helps to cool the Earth's surface.
These Sahara sand events also help moderate tropical cyclones in the Atlantic and transport nutrients.
