Friday, June 26, 2020

The Biggest Saharan Dust Storm In 50 Years Hits The U.S.



Daily Mail: 'Gorilla Dust Cloud' formed from the biggest Saharan dust storm in 50 years hits the US and begins its sweep over Florida and Texas - sparking health warnings for the vulnerable amid spikes in COVID-19

* The 'Gorilla Dust Cloud' struck Mississippi's gulf coast Thursday
* The 3,500-mile-long cloud traveled 5,000 miles from North Africa, sweeping across the Caribbean this week before reaching US soil
* It will hang over the US Southeast this weekend and into the middle of next week, shrouding the region in a brown haze and deteriorating the air quality
* It is moving across states including Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas
* States worst affected include those suffering record-high COVID-19 cases
* Experts are warning vulnerable people to stay inside as the poor air quality caused by the dust storm poses another respiratory threat as well as the virus
* Strong winds over the Sahara typically whip up sand this time of year and carry it across the Atlantic to the Americas but the dust is more dense this year

The biggest Saharan dust storm in 50 years has hit the US and is headed for Florida, Texas and other states already struggling with COVID-19 surges, sparking fresh fears of respiratory problems among Americans.

The so-called 'Gorilla Dust Cloud' struck Mississippi's gulf coast Thursday after charting its path across the Caribbean this week where air quality plunged to 'hazardous' levels.

The 3,500-mile-long cloud traveled 5,000 miles from North Africa before reaching the region stretching from Florida west into Texas and north into North Carolina through Arkansas, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

Read more ....

Update #1: Saharan dust arrives in the US (CNN)
Update #2: Winds blow massive Saharan dust cloud into US airspace (AccuWeather)

WNU Editor: Get ready for some awesome sunsets and sunrises.

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