ORANJESTAD – You might have noticed since yesterday that Aruba’s usually blue, sunny skies are covered behind a layer of dusty-looking clouds. This phenomenon occurs yearly and affects the Caribbean, including the Dutch islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.
Saharan dust is carried by winds from the Sahara Desert in North Africa all the way across the ocean to the Caribbean. The Saharan dust is an aeolian mineral dust from the Sahara desert, which is the largest hot desert in the world. The Sahara is the largest source of aeolian dust in the world, and is often produced by natural processes like wind storms, and doesn’t appear to be heavily impacted by human activities.
Caribbean Weather Watch informed this week that “the first mass of Saharan dust of the year has reached the eastern Caribbean as well as the ABC islands. This mass will be more prominent this weekend before dissipating by early next week. The presence of the mass is causing whitish skies and lower visibility.”
The dusty air can also cause problems for people with allergies or respiratory illness, so it is important to take this into account. Ways to avoid the negative effects of the Saharan dust include staying indoors and limiting exposure.
