MIAMI – The largest outbreak of Saharan dust so far this summer is moving over the Atlantic, putting a cap on tropical development and threatening to impact air quality throughout the Caribbean. Dust across the Atlantic’s Main Development Region (MDR) has been running below average, but that hasn’t prevented other locales around the African continent […]
Tag: Saharan
National Hurricane Center watching two areas for development as tropics shrugs off Saharan dust
The tropical Atlantic is defying the large plume of Saharan dust wafting across the basin with the National Hurricane Center watching two areas for potential development over the next seven days. Both spots — one in the western Caribbean and one a few hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands ― have low chances […]
Saharan dust is coming to Florida. Here’s how it can affect hurricanes and your health
First came the floods. Then the mosquitoes. Now, South Florida, get ready for the dust. A large plume of Saharan Dust — the first of the year — is forecast to reach Florida later this week. This is usually good news for the tropics, but bad for allergies and respiratory issues. And it ramps up […]
Saharan dust restricting tropical development but it won’t last
A burst of tropical vigor last week is withering in the final days of June with a Saharan dust outbreak trying to throttle storm development from Africa to the Caribbean. The dust, made up of sand and mineral particles swept up from 3.5 million square miles of desert, could reach Florida by the weekend, said […]
Atlantic Ocean’s record warmth finally breaks as Saharan dust settles in over basin
Just in time for the Atlantic hurricane season, water temperatures in large parts of the basin are cooling, but forecasters warn that it won’t take much to reverse the trend. According to satellite estimates, the Atlantic basin entered record territory on March 5, 2023, and ended the streak around the last days of April – […]
Huge Saharan dust blob cooling eastern Atlantic
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A huge plume of Saharan dust is now visible on satellite loops coming off of Africa into the eastern Tropical Atlantic Ocean. This, combined with stronger than normal easterly winds of the Saharan Desert, is helping cool part of the far Eastern Atlantic, where the seeds for some hurricane season storms […]