ORLANDO, Fla. – The largest plume of dust from the Sahara Desert is on its way.
The yearly occurring phenomenon has been uncharacteristically low in concentration for the start of the hurricane season. Typically, the Central Atlantic, between the Lesser Antilles and Africa, is filled up with dust, but that has not been the case this year.
The lack of dust likely helped the rare formations of tropical storms Bret and Cindy. Since the late 1800s, only a handful of storms have developed east of the Caribbean in June.
The dust is already in the eastern Caribbean and by Fourth of July could sneak into the Gulf of Mexico. Dust could work its way up to Florida and the north Gulf after the Fourth Of July.
The dust becoming more prolific in the Atlantic should help to keep the tropics quiet over the next week or so.
Saharan dust can be both good and bad. It fertilizes the Amazon rain forest and produces vibrant sunrises and sunsets.
The Saharan Air Layer, as it’s known, can also help suppress tropical development. On the flip side, if thick enough, the dust can cause air-quality issues.
Typically, the particles are thousands of feet in the air, however.
The dust can also fuel red tide and other algal blooms.
Click here for more on the good, bad and ugly of the yearly occurring Saharan dust phenomenon.
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