Saharan dust finds its way to the Island

Saharan dust finds its way to the Island

The phenomenon occurs a few times a year when strong winds moving through the North African desert whip particles high into the sky which are then blown northwards across Europe.

If the dust is carried high enough – into the upper atmosphere – it can be blown as far away as Britain.

And as rain falls it picks up the particles, before landing, evaporating and leaving deposits of dust behind.

Jim Galvin, duty forecaster at Jersey Met, said that the latest event had left behind a thicker layer than usual.

‘It is not unusual to see a fair amount but I have seen a few pictures of it on people’s cars and it looked like we received quite a thick layer, more than we would normally see,’ he said.

‘It is the right time of year for this to happen. We are still getting cold fronts coming down through Africa and if the wind is strong enough there and we have southerly or south-easterly winds, it can bring it up.

‘The amount of deposition can vary on how much has been sucked up and that depends on the wind speed [of where it is collected].’

However, this week’s event was not as severe as one which took place in October 2017 when smoke from wildfires in Portugal combined with Saharan dust to turn skies orange across Britain.

A cold front is due to move in across the Island later today bringing with it occasional showers and a maximum temperature of 15°C.

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