ORLANDO, Fla. – It happens every year about this time. Large plumes of dust are blown across the Atlantic all the way from the Sahara Desert in Africa. There are several pros and cons to the annually occurring event, but one of the pros is great sunrises and sunsets.
Florida is already home to some of the best sunrises and sunsets around but when dust is added to the atmosphere, they can be even better!
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When the sun is low on the horizon in the morning and evening, the sun’s rays have to travel through more of the Earth’s atmosphere. The light scatters more, producing beautiful red, orange and pink colors in the sky. When small dust particles are introduced, more scattering takes places enhancing the already vibrant colors. Here’s an example of a sunrise with Saharan Dust in our sky from two years ago.
The dust has made its way into the Caribbean and by the mid-to-late next week, some of it gets pulled up the Florida peninsula.
Look for the potential for more vibrant-than-normal sunrises, sunsets starting Tuesday and especially late in the week.
The dust for the most part is suspended high in the atmosphere, but some can make it to the surface, aggravating allergies while it is around.