Sahara Dust Blankets Greek Skies, Enshrouding Landmarks In Orange Haze

 

• Sahara dust clouds turn Greek skies orange, obscuring landmarks like the Acropolis.
• Strong winds fuel early wildfires across southern Greece, prompting swift containment efforts.
• Greece prepares for a tough firefighting season amid drought and high temperatures after a record-breaking wildfire year.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the skies over southern Greece were tinged with an orange hue on Tuesday as dust clouds, carried across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa, shrouded the Acropolis and other Athens landmarks.

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Strong southerly winds, transporting the dust from the Sahara Desert, gave the Greek capital an otherworldly, Martian-like ambiance as the daylight waned.

Forecasters anticipate clearer skies on Wednesday as winds change direction, dispersing the dust, accompanied by a drop in temperatures.

On Tuesday, temperatures soared to an unseasonably high 86 Fahrenheit in parts of the southern island of Crete, a staggering 70 degrees Fahrenheit higher than much of northern Greece.

The recent strong southerly winds have also exacerbated early wildfires in the country’s southern regions.

The fire service reported 25 wildfires breaking out across Greece in the past 24 hours alone.

Three individuals were apprehended on suspicion of inadvertently starting a scrub fire on Monday on the Aegean Sea resort island of Paros.

However, swift containment efforts prevented significant damage or injuries.

Meanwhile, firefighters successfully contained another blaze near a naval base on Crete on Tuesday.

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Greece faces an annual threat of devastating forest fires, often resulting in fatalities, and last year witnessed the largest wildfire in the European Union in over two decades.

With persistent drought conditions and elevated spring temperatures, concerns mount for a challenging firefighting season ahead.