Greece is expected to experience rising temperatures alongside the arrival of Saharan dust over the coming days, according to information released by the atmospheric monitoring platform AtmoHub.

The phenomenon is linked to a combination of three surface pressure systems—low, high, and low pressure—enhanced by air mass movement in the upper layers of the atmosphere. These conditions are driving the transport of dust from North Africa towards the Mediterranean region.

Dust Transport from North Africa

Strong southwesterly winds over dust source regions in Algeria are lifting and carrying large amounts of airborne particles, forming an extended dust cloud.

This cloud is expected to move across Central and Eastern Mediterranean areas, reaching Greece within the next few days. While the dust plume will be widespread, forecasts indicate that it will largely remain in the upper layers of the atmosphere.

As a result, significant impacts on surface-level air quality are not expected, according to AtmoHub’s analysis.

Regional Timeline of the Phenomenon

The dust is expected to begin affecting western parts of Greece from early Wednesday, 5 May. By the end of the day, it is forecast to spread across most of the mainland.

On Thursday, the phenomenon is expected to extend further into eastern regions of the country.

Toward the end of the week, the evolution of the dust transport may change depending on shifting atmospheric conditions.

AtmoHub notes that the development of the phenomenon is being tracked using data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).