the south-east of France wakes up under a layer of sand from the Sahara

From the Côte d’Azur to the Jura, a mixture of dust and sand from North Africa gave an ocher tint to the sky on Saturday morning.

Green day on the roads, but yellow in the sky. Residents of the south-east of France discovered landscapes plunged into a yellowish fog on Saturday March 30, after the arrival of dust and sand from North Africa. “Yesterday, a sandstorm brought sand dust from the Sahara to Europe”reports agro-meteorologist Serge Zaka.

This phenomenon “will concern a large part of eastern France” And “will reach its peak this Saturday”according to Guillaume Jauseau, forecaster for the Météo Contact website. Other weather enthusiasts shared photos on social media.

“This morning, the layer of Sahara sand coming from Algeria is so thick that everyone is driving with their lights on on the Côte d’Azur”reported the meteorologist Guillaume Séchet. The sky had started to cloud over on Friday evening, particularly in the Jura, according to Weather Franc-Comtoise.

A “highly toxic mixture”

This arrival of dust and ocher sand blends more or less harmoniously with a rainy spell. “The rains which occur this Saturday morning between the east of Hérault, Gard, Cévennes, Lozère and the Rhône valley are sandy, reports InfOccitanie. This sand is deposited on all surfaces. Particularly on vehicles, terraces, garden furniture or even vegetation.”

Greece experienced a similar situation at the end of the week, to the point that the country’s Union of Pulmonologists recommended that the most vulnerable people, particularly those suffering from asthma, avoid “unnecessary movements and outdoor sports during hours when dust concentrations are highest”. “African dust carries particles that can integrate with pollen, bacteria and fungi, creating a highly toxic and dangerous mixture for the human body and particularly for the respiratory system”warned the association.