Saharan dust cloud hits the US and threatens to drop ‘dirty rain’

The Saharan Air Layer reached Florida on Wednesday evening (Picture: Sharilyn Neidhardt)

A massive cloud of Saharan dust has begun sweeping over South Florida and threatens to bring ‘dirty rain’.

The Saharan Air Layer drifted more than 5,000 miles from North Africa and across the Caribbean, and reached the Sunshine State on Wednesday evening. The cloud is about 2,000 miles wide and 750 miles long, according to Accuweather.

It is forecast to move across the state on Thursday and bring haziness, low visibility, dry weather and heavy rain that could take the form of drops of mud.

The plume will spread to more parts of the southeast US on Thursday, and may possibly travel from Florida to parts of Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, and the Gulf and southeast Atlantic Ocean by Friday.

What is the Saharan dust cloud?

The cloud forms from a mixture of sand and minerals in the Sahara that is blown into the atmosphere.

Strong winds typically push the Saharan Air Layer west over the Atlantic Ocean, and it typically hits the Caribbean and Gulf Coast a few times per year.

Less commonly, the cloud creeps north toward Europe.

Dust clouds happen most often from mid-May to August, with the highest frequency in mid-June and July, but they can occur any time of the year.

What is dirty rain?

When dust particles in the air interact with raindrops, ‘dirty rain’ forms.

It is also referred to as muddy rain or red rain if the dust has a red hue.

Dirty rain is expected to fall across Florida as the dust cloud passes.

The phenomenon typically only happens several times a year.

Is the Saharan dust cloud harmful?

The Saharan dust can be bad for your health as they can make air quality poor.

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