Overview

• The Saharan plume currently spans roughly 2,000 miles from Jamaica to Barbados and 750 miles from Turks and Caicos to Trinidad and Tobago.
• National Weather Service data show an aerosol optical depth of 0.55, marking the year’s highest concentration to date.
• AccuWeather forecasters predict dust levels will reach Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi late this week into the weekend.
• Caribbean forecasters warn that the haze is triggering sneezing, coughing and watery eyes, especially among individuals with allergies or asthma.
• NOAA cautions that the Saharan Air Layer’s dry dust often suppresses tropical wave formation, which may dampen early hurricane season development.