Dust from the Sahara covers cars in the West
DUST from Africa’s Sahara Desert has caused hazy skies and dust that has covered cars in the Westcountry.
Fragments of dust blown all the way from North Africa have covered cars in parts of the region, as southerly winds – which have also brought warm weather – sweep up across Europe to the UK.
According to the Exeter-based Met Office, Saharan dust is a mixture of sand and dust from the desert and it can reach the UK, if the conditions are right.
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said a rain shower in Exeter appears to have brought the dust down to the ground
Earlier, he said: “There is often dust in the air and it comes up from the south through places like Spain. For it to appear, we would need rainfall.”
Meteorologists say the wind often blows strongly over deserts – whipping up dust and sand high into the sky.
If the winds in the upper part of the atmosphere are blowing north, the dust can be carried as far as the UK.
Once it is lifted from the ground by strong winds, clouds of dust can reach very high altitudes and be transported worldwide, covering thousands of miles.
In order for the dust to get from up in the sky down to the ground, you need something to wash it out of the sky – rain. As raindrops fall, they collect particles of dust on the way down. Then, when the raindrops land on something and eventually evaporate, they leave behind a layer of dust.
Saharan dust is relatively common in the UK, often happening several times a year when big dust storms in the Sahara coincide with southerly wind patterns. In certain weather situations, Saharan dust can also affect air pollution and pollution levels.
Devon resident Edward Munn spotted specks of the well-travelled dust on his black car yesterday. He said he had cleaned it only the previous day.