Warning for one “of exceptional character” transport episode from Saturday dust from the Sahara to the West Europe issued the European Copernicus observatory highlighting them negative impact on air quality.

The third episode of dust transport from the Sahara to Europe in two weeks has been ongoing since April 6 and has created high concentrations of PM10 (fine particles) “in the Iberian Peninsula as well as in parts of France and Germany”, sometimes exceeding the European daily average exposure, according to the Copernicus Observatory’s Air Quality Monitoring Service (CAMS)

These concentrations will continue to increase in the coming days due to favorable atmospheric conditions prolonging dust transport, CAMS warns.

“This latest episode of dust transport from the Sahara it is the third in the last two weeks and is linked to the meteorological conditions that have created warm weather across western Europe in recent days,” emphasizes Mark Parrington of CAMS.

“Although it is not uncommon for dust clouds from the Sahara to reach the Europethe intensity and frequency of such episodes have increased in recent years, possibly due to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns,” according to the announcement.

Exposure to elevated levels of PM10 they can have various effects on health, by triggering asthma or allergy attacks and aggravating certain respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, especially in vulnerable people (pregnant women, children, the elderly, immunocompromised).

The Sahara is the largest source of mineral dust and releases 60-200 million tons per year. If the larger particles fall quickly to the ground, the smaller ones can be transported thousands of kilometers and reach Europe.