A thick blanket of dust smothered Cyprus on Thursday, with air quality monitors recording dangerous levels of particulate matter across the island.
While the dust is expected to temporarily clear on Friday, meteorologists warn that another wave of dust is on course to affect the region from Saturday.
“This dust wave originated from a low-pressure system in northern Africa, carried by western air currents,” meteorologist Andreas Hatzigeorgiou explained. “Visibility has been significantly reduced, with measurements showing levels well above the safe threshold.”
Air quality stations recorded levels of particulate matter in the “red” and “orange” zones, indicating high concentrations and potential health risks. The usual visibility range of 15-20 kilometres was reduced to just 3 kilometres at the airport due to the dust.
Hatzigeorgiou added that a brief respite from the dust is expected on Friday morning, but it won’t last long. “A new episode of dust is forecast to move in on Saturday, affecting the middle atmosphere,” he said.
Looking at the broader weather pattern, Hatzigeorgiou noted that local cloudiness can be expected from Friday onwards, with possible showers or even thunderstorms late Saturday afternoon.
Temperatures are predicted to remain within the typical range for this time of year.
