Saharan Dust to blanket Central Florida this weekend, affecting skies and rain

ORLANDO, Fla. – A thick Saharan Dust cloud arrives this weekend, coming in from the south. It will linger over Central Florida through at least Monday of next week.

What we know:

The dust cloud stretches thousands of miles, from West Africa’s Cape Verde Islands to the eastern Caribbean, and is now reaching the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the Bahamas. South Florida will begin to feel the impacts on Thursday and Central Florida residents will notice hazier skies by Friday, especially at sunrise and sunset, and may see “dirty” rain — residue-laden precipitation — on vehicles and surfaces.

It’s still uncertain how intense the dust concentration will be over Central Florida and what the full scope of local health or air quality impacts might be. The degree to which this specific plume will suppress tropical storm development in the Atlantic remains to be seen, though historically such events have had a dampening effect.

The Saharan Air Layer (SAL), a phenomenon that occurs regularly during the summer months, carries massive amounts of mineral dust from the Sahara Desert across the Atlantic Ocean. These events are common between June and August and often coincide with quiet periods in hurricane development, as the SAL’s dry air and wind shear suppress the formation of tropical systems.

While the dust cloud creates vivid sunrises and sunsets, it also plays a larger role. Saharan Dust can transport nutrients that fertilize ecosystems as far away as the Amazon Rainforest and nutrient-poor regions of the ocean. However, it can also hinder agriculture, damage infrastructure, and affect weather patterns. 

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What they’re saying:

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