Saharan dust blankets Switzerland, skies turn cloudy and yellow
Switzerland finds itself under a peculiar phenomenon as an extraordinary volume of Saharan dust settles over the country. Meteorologist Roman Brogli from SRF Meteo reveals that Saturday witnessed an influx equivalent to a staggering 180,000 tonnes of dust, a revelation gleaned from forecast models.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Русский
ru
Песок из Сахары окрасил небо Швейцарии в желтые тона
Brogli underscores the magnitude of this occurrence, noting it surpasses previous events which typically delivered only half as much dust. The surge in dust was propelled by a robust southerly current, ferrying particles from the Sahara desert in northern Africa to Swiss skies as early as Friday.
The Sahara stands as the planet’s primary source of mineral dust, emitting between 60 to 200 million tonnes annually. While larger particles precipitate swiftly, smaller ones embark on journeys spanning thousands of kilometres, traversing entire continents, including Europe. These Saharan dust events significantly contribute to aerosol pollution, particularly in the transitional seasons of spring and autumn.
The presence of Saharan dust alters atmospheric dynamics, manifesting in a yellowish hue across the skies and enhancing the spectacle of sunrises and sunsets. Moreover, when settling upon snow, it can impede outdoor activities like skiing.
Additionally, the introduction of dust particles introduces complexities to weather forecasting, influencing cloud formation and posing an added challenge to meteorologists. However, from a natural perspective, these minerals serve as potent fertilisers, enriching the environment.
Health Considerations
While the influx of Saharan dust captures attention, its health implications remain minimal for the majority. Natural particulate matter accounts for only a fraction of overall particulate concentration, suggesting negligible effects on public health.
The Sahara, spanning over nine million square kilometres, stands as Earth’s largest dry desert, stretching across the African continent from the Atlantic to the Red Sea coastlines.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Switzerland’s priciest street makes room for a bakery shop
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Austrian right-wing extremist arrested by Swiss police
This content was published on
The Austrian right-wing extremist Martin Sellner entered Switzerland on Saturday despite being banned from entering the country.
All Swiss listed companies have a climate strategy
This content was published on
All major listed Swiss companies have a climate strategy. This puts Switzerland ahead of neighbouring Germany and Austria, says a study by Kirchhoff Consult and BDO.
Local birds are stars of this year’s Bern light show
This content was published on
The Rendez-vous Bundesplatz light show enters a new round on Saturday. This year, birds will be chirping, squawking and fluttering all over the façade of the federal parliament.
EU urges countries to keep demining in Ukraine permanently on the agenda
This content was published on
The Lausanne Ministerial Conference on Humanitarian Demining in Ukraine led to pledges from more than 40 countries to help the war-torn country.
This content was published on
Researchers at the University of Zurich have used artificial intelligence to detect antibiotic-resistant germs for the first time.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.