Why has the sky above Athens turned orange?
- Published
Winds carrying dust from the Sahara desert in North Africa, have blown into the Greek city of Athens, turning the air a hazy orange colour.
“It’s one of the most serious episodes of dust and sand concentrations from the Sahara since March 21-22, 2018” said Kostas Lagouvardos, a weather research director at the Athens Observatory.
Authorities have warned people with medical conditions which affect their breathing - like asthma - to limit the amount of time they spend outdoors, wear protective masks and avoid doing physical exercise outside until the dust clouds clear.
The dust storm was so strong on Wednesday morning, that famous landmarks like the Acropolis in Athens were no longer visible because of the dust.
The Sahara desert releases around 60 to 200 million tonnes of sandy dust each year. Most of it stays in the desert, but some of the small dust particles can be blown thousands of miles away, sometimes reaching Europe.
Local weather experts have said that the skies should clear up by around Wednesday afternoon.