Overview

• The Saharan Air Layer dust plume reached southern Florida Wednesday and is set to drift northwest over Georgia, the Carolinas and the Gulf Coast by Friday.
• State and federal agencies have issued air quality alerts urging people with asthma, heart conditions and older adults to limit outdoor activities.
• Interaction of dust particles with incoming showers could produce ‘dirty rain,’ resulting in muddy or red-hued precipitation in impacted communities.
• Dry, warm conditions linked to the plume may suppress thunderstorms and inhibit early hurricane-season storm formation across affected areas.
• Mineral-rich dust can fertilize ocean phytoplankton and forests but excessive concentrations risk harming coral reefs and reducing visibility.