Starting Friday, dust that has travelled all the way from North Africa will begin obscuring the skies in Central Texas. The annual phenomenon, known as a Saharan dust plume, can decrease visibility and worsen air quality.
"Every summer, starting around early June, we'll see storms in the Saharan Desert kick up dust and bring that dust across the Atlantic,” Anton Cox, air quality program manager at the Capital Area Council of Governments, said.
The dust travels from Africa on powerful trade winds between 1 to 3 miles above the surface of the earth, often reaching deep into Texas.
“Yeah, it’s pretty crazy,” Cox said.
It can also be dangerous, especially for people with lung conditions or otherwise compromised health.
Officials are encouraging people to check local air quality forecasts before spending too much time outdoors. They say using a mask and avoiding overexertion are two ways to decrease the risk of developing breathing problems.
“It will cause throat irritation, coughing, things like that,” Cox said. “We do see, across the world, higher hospital visits for respiratory illnesses like asthma.”
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is forecasting moderate impact on air quality from the dust at least until Monday. The TCEQ said parts of Texas may also see lower air quality due to smoke coming from Mexico and Central America.
That smoke, caused by agricultural burning and wildfires, usually affects Central Texas from May to mid-June.
“Saharan dust usually enters our region early June through August,” Cox said. “So this like two-week period of early to mid-June is kind of a potential for getting hit doubly.”
While the dust decreases air quality and visibility, it also brings benefits.
Saharan dust can quell hurricane activity in the Atlantic, fertilize depleted soils and bring striking sunsets.
It is also composed of the remains of long dead lake-dwelling microorganisms. Learn more about the long strange trip taken by Saharan dust here.
