Desert dust from North Africa’s Sahara in the atmosphere continues to affect parts of Greece despite prevailing northern winds on Wednesday, with the weather phenomenon expected to persist through Thursday before clearing over the weekend.
According to Kostas Lagouvardos, a meteorologist and research director at the National Observatory of Athens, the weather phenomenon is currently underway, though not particularly intense, compared to previous such instances.
“We are indeed experiencing a dust transport event. However, I would not describe it as strong. Its key characteristic is that transport had already occurred in previous days, so even with northerly winds like today, dust remains in the atmosphere.”
According to Lagouvardos, the highest dust concentrations were recorded at altitudes between 2.5 and four kilometers above ground level. As a result, rainfall carried the particles downward, leading to the phenomenon known as “muddy rain.”
The effects have been more noticeable in areas with light rainfall, such as the greater Athens-Piraeus area. “The dust that settled was not washed away due to weak rain, making it particularly visible on surfaces like cars,” he explained.
Similar conditions are expected to continue into the following day.
