COLUMBUS, GA (WRBL) — A plume of Saharan dust will move toward the southeastern U.S this week and next week.
States across the Southeast will notice a little more haze in the atmosphere but the overall concentration of dust will be fairly low. We won’t notice much of a difference except for vivid sunrises and sunsets along with hazy sunshine during the afternoon.
One downside to the added dust will be a dip in air quality, those who suffer from upper respiratory issues such as allergies and asthma may become sensitive to the dust and should avoid prolonged outside exposure. Significant air quality impacts however are not expected.
What causes this?While this may sound surprising or a little scary, it actually happens every year. From about the end of May through the beginning of July strong winds lift the dust, composed of tiny particles of sand and minerals, into atmosphere known as the Saharan Air Layer…