Sahara Dust Clouds Suffocating the Caribbean en Route to the U.S.

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Enveloped in a significant amount of dust clouds from the Sahara Desert, the Caribbean is headed towards the US on Monday for one of the year’s most noteworthy events.

These clouds have expanded from Jamaica, stretching approximately 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) past Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean, and about 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from the Turks and Caicos Islands down to Trinidad and Tobago.

“It’s quite remarkable,” noted Alex Dasilva, a hurricane expert at Accuweather.

The hazy skies have triggered sneezing, coughing, and watery eyes throughout the Caribbean. Local meteorologists are advising individuals with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory issues to stay indoors or wear face masks when outside.

Idiana Zayas, a forecaster at the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico, reported elevated dust levels.

As per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an aerosol’s optical depth quantifies how many particles obstruct sunlight from reaching the ground.

The plume is anticipated to reach Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi later this week and over the weekend, Dasilva mentioned.

However, he indicated that plumes often lose much of their density in the Eastern Caribbean.

“These islands typically face higher concentrations that can partially block sunlight, leading to more noticeable effects,” he remarked.

The dry, dusty air known as the Saharan air layer originates from the African Sahara Desert and travels westward from around April to October, according to NOAA. It also hinders the formation of tropical waves during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

June and July generally see the highest average dust concentrations, with plumes moving between 5,000 and 20,000 feet above ground, Dasilva pointed out.

In June 2020, record levels of Sahara dust filled the Caribbean. The scale and density of the plume were unprecedented in half a century, prompting forecasters to label it the “Godzilla Dust Cloud.”