People in Greece are currently confronted with images that are more familiar from science fiction films. Several cities – including the capital Athens – were covered in dense orange. But the eerily beautiful effect also has a downside: the number of patients in emergency departments has increased.
As the day progressed, the sky above Athens turned a deep red due to the dust, creating not only difficulty breathing but also a vague, oppressive atmosphere.
Shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain – more people came to hospital emergency rooms in Athens on Tuesday than usual due to high levels of Saharan dust in the air.
Doctors also sounded the alarm on the island of Crete and in the city of Kalamata: in many cases people turned to pulmonologists there, the newspaper ‘To Proto Thema’ reported. Although particulate pollution was very high this time, it was still far from a record. “A few years ago there was a pollution level of 3,000 micrograms per cubic meter of air,” recalls Michalopoulos. The daily average limit is actually 50 micrograms per cubic meter.
Dust contains small particles
Experts had already warned about the weather situation and advised especially people with respiratory diseases and allergies not to spend time outdoors. The Greek Pulmonology Association said the African dust contained even the smallest particles that could penetrate deep into the lungs. The dust is also linked to cardiovascular disease.
Air gets stuck at an altitude of two kilometers
Due to climatic conditions, the Attica region around Athens is regularly affected by the phenomenon, especially in spring and autumn, meteorologists told the daily “Kathimerini”. Warm southerly winds carrying dust from Africa meet cooler currents from the north, causing the dust-bearing warm air to rise to a height of up to two kilometers and stay there.
As the dust particles reflected the sun’s rays, the sky glowed a hazy red, said Nikos Michalopoulos of the Athens National Observatory.
From Sunday it will be dustier here again
Meteorologists gave the following answer: The phenomenon is expected to diminish during the day as westerly winds push the dust eastward. What remains is a red layer of fine dust that covers cars and balconies everywhere.
“It will be dustier here again from Sunday,” explains ORF meteorologist Manuel Oberhuber on X (formerly Twitter). However, it is always difficult to say whether the sky will turn orange. “That depends, among other things, on where exactly the dust comes from. In certain areas of the Northern Sahara the dust is particularly dark orange/brown.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
