Overview
- Forecasters say the plume will reach South Florida Wednesday–Thursday and spread into Central Florida and coastal Georgia by Thursday–Friday, lingering into the weekend.
- The dust will produce hazy skies and more vivid orange-red sunrises and sunsets while slightly reducing sunlight during the day.
- Meteorologists expect fewer afternoon showers and hotter daytime temperatures because the Saharan Air Layer brings very dry, stable air that suppresses storm development.
- Health officials warn that when dust mixes down toward the surface it can raise PM10/PM2.5 levels and irritate people with asthma, COPD, heart conditions, young children and older adults.
- NOAA and the NWS note this is a seasonal pattern that sends plumes every one to two weeks through August, and the same dust that feeds distant ecosystems can also increase nutrients that sometimes worsen coastal algal blooms.