Saharan dust column reduces air quality in the Caribbean

Saint John, Apr 11 (Prensa Latina) As a column of dust from the Sahara continues its journey through the Caribbean, air quality levels in the region are moderate, an official source reported today. There are some pollutants present in the atmosphere and disaster management experts urge sensitive people to take the necessary precautions, the Antigua and Barbuda Weather Service stressed.

April 11, 2023
02:19

It included groups of the elderly, children, and those with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, while suggesting wearing a mask when going out, washing eyes with plenty of water in case of irritation, closing the windows of the house, among others.

The dust will affect the Caribbean until mid-week, according to the forecast models of the Saharan air layer of the American chain Fox News, with which the meteorological entity of this island coincides.

That respite from airborne pollutants will not last long, but we expect another column to arrive a few days later, he remarked in the message.

A cloud of dust from the Sahara can carry about 28 million tons of these particles across the Atlantic to the Americas, and each year total hundreds of millions, scientists explained.

The intensity of the dust layer has increased since the 1970s, due to longer dry seasons in the African Sahel zone, and the occurrence of more sand storms, according to different estimates.

ef/jcm/znc