Sand or dust moves from the desert to the west of the continent regularly. When it reaches the Canary Islands, where it is called kalima, it often descends, settles into homes and cars, and severely restricts visibility. It is related to the naturally occurring phenomenon of the desert air layer (SAL).
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Word from the Canary Islands on its way to Europe
This means that hot, dry air from the Sahara Desert is moving westward, as it is pushed over the Atlantic Ocean over the denser sea air. In this warm layer (which also causes a temperature reversal: the top is warmer than the bottom), desert sand and dust “travel” as well. Its annual quantities are estimated at tens of millions of tons. It can even reach the Americas. It happens that winds carry dust north to Europe. This is what our continent awaits in the coming days.
Last week, Canary Islanders witnessed the latest word “kalima”. Dust appeared in Spain this weekend, and according to expectations, including. NASA and scientists from the Copernicus program (working within the European Space Agency – European Space Agency), in the following days it will reach northern and central Europe. Spain and France will hit the hardest, but it may appear in Norway.
Dust from the Sahara Desert will reach Poland
And also in Poland. An animation published by Mark Barrington, chief scientist with the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS), shows that the desert sands of our country could flood the sky on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mainly in the north of the country, but to a lesser extent, it will also reach the entire territory of Poland.
CAMS explains that dust is likely to cause “a significant decrease in air quality in affected regions” – especially Spain and France, and possibly the United Kingdom and the Benelux countries. “High dust concentrations could affect the respiratory health of people in affected areas and increase particulate air pollution from local sources,” Mark Barrington explains, It is quoted in the CAMS version.
Desert dust can also bring a red color to the sky, more intense than usual colors at sunrise and sunset, and cause dust to fall and settle on windows and car bodies. However, the magnitude of this phenomenon is difficult to predict.
Dust appeared from the Sahara Desert over Europe a few weeks ago, staining the snow in the Alps yellow. It was also noticeable in Poland on a much smaller scale.
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