A drastic change in weather conditions is about to affect Italy. After days of stable weather guaranteed by a high-pressure system that is now weakening, the country is preparing to be hit by massive clouds of dust coming from the Sahara Desert.
The peak is expected on Monday, April 13
The phenomenon, described by meteorologist Daniele Ingemi, will reach its peak on Monday, April 13. The cause of this sandy “invasion” is a low-pressure system moving up from North Africa toward Sardinia, expected on Sunday, April 12. This disturbance will trigger strong Scirocco winds, with gusts exceeding 50–60 km/h, capable of lifting large quantities of desert dust into the middle troposphere.
Thanks in part to the push from the Atlas Mountains, these particles travel thousands of kilometers, clouding the skies over the Mediterranean. The first regions to be affected on Sunday will be Sardinia, Sicily, and Calabria; starting Monday, the dust will spread to the rest of Italy.
On Monday, April 13, in the north and along the Tyrrhenian coast, rain will capture the particles, depositing them on the ground in the form of yellow or brown stains on cars and terraces. In areas without precipitation, the grains will accumulate through simple sedimentation on exposed surfaces. On Tuesday, April 14, the rains will shift toward central and southern Italy and the islands, causing even more significant accumulations of dust on the ground.
In addition to aesthetic inconveniences, Meteored warns of potential health risks: the high concentration of PM2.5 fine particles can irritate the respiratory tract and aggravate pre-existing lung conditions.
Despite the problems with visibility and air quality, the transport of Saharan dust plays a vital role for the environment. The iron contained in the dust promotes phytoplankton photosynthesis, acting as a nutrient for the oceans, and NASA studies confirm that these phosphorus-laden clouds cross the Atlantic to fertilize even the Amazon rainforest.
