Sahara Fragile

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Sahara desert
  • Namib desert
  • Kalahari desert
  • Savanna desert
  • Fragile States

Sahara Fragile

Header Banner

Sahara Fragile

  • Home
  • Sahara desert
  • Namib desert
  • Kalahari desert
  • Savanna desert
  • Fragile States
Sahara desert
Home›Sahara desert›Sahara desert dust brings heat and dry air to Tampa Bay

Sahara desert dust brings heat and dry air to Tampa Bay

By Christopher J. Jones
June 16, 2022
0
0

A large dust cloud from the Sahara Desert blew into the Gulf of Mexico last weekend and will float over the Tampa Bay area in the coming days.

Covering parts of central and southern Florida, the cloud of dust brings higher temperatures and hazy, dry air. Tampa won’t see its usual rain and scattered thunderstorms this week due to dust, said hurricane specialist Jason Dunion of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“That dust is the reason it’s going to be 95 degrees today,” he said.

According to Juli Marquez, meteorologist for Spectrum Bay News 9, an area of ​​high pressure air over Tampa is also contributing to the lack of rain this week. The dry air, combined with high pressure, makes it difficult for thunderclouds to form.

The dust cloud is part of the Saharan Air Layer, a natural layer of dry, dusty air that sits approximately 1 mile above sea level. The layer forms when strong winds in Africa pick up dust from the Sahara Desert region and transport it east across the Atlantic. This particular dust plume likely left the African coast about a week ago, Dunion said.

Dust clouds like the one Florida is currently experiencing are a normal result of the Saharan air layer, Dunion said. Dust outbreaks tend to increase in late June and peak in July and early August.

“It’s your typical dust outbreak, just over Tampa,” Dunion said. “We can expect more in the coming weeks.”

In addition to the heat and dryness, Floridians might also notice particularly vibrant sunrises and sunsets due to the dust, Marquez said.

These dust clouds generally do not pose a threat to human health. People with asthma or other pre-existing respiratory conditions may notice the change in air quality more than others, Marquez said, but the air quality index shows moderate to good conditions. in Florida this week.

The Saharan air layer actually helps protect Florida from tropical storms and hurricanes, according to meteorologists and storm experts. The dust suppresses the formation of storms over the Atlantic by introducing dry air and preventing sunlight from heating the water, Yale Climate Connections author Jeff Masters wrote in an email. at the Tampa Bay Times. Without moist air and warm ocean water, hurricanes have a harder time developing and sustaining themselves.

Dust outbreaks over Florida could be an important defense against storms this hurricane season, which scientists predict will be more active than average. But the dust clouds typically clear up by mid-August, Dunion said, just as hurricane season hits its peak.

It’s probably no coincidence that the peak of the hurricane season in late August and September comes as dust clouds in the Saharan air layer dissipate, Dunion said. Still, residents of central and south Florida could dodge some potential storms, thanks to the dust.

The current cloud over the Tampa Bay area is just the beginning of periodic dust outbreaks that will blow into the Gulf of Mexico over the next few weeks. Every outbreak is likely to bring vibrant sunsets, high temperatures and a break from the rain.

• • •

Tampa Bay Times 2022 Hurricane Guide

IT’S THE SEASON OF STORMS: Get ready and stay informed about tampabay.com/hurricane.

GROWING THREAT: Tampa Bay is going to be flooded. Here’s how to prepare.

RECHECK: Checklists for Building All Kinds of Hurricane Kits

PHONE HIM: Use your smartphone to protect your data, documents and photos.

SELF-ADMINISTERED CARE: Protect your sanity during a hurricane.

• • •

PART 1: The Tampa Bay Times has teamed up with the National Hurricane Center for a revealing look at future storms.

PART 2: Even weak hurricanes can cause huge storm surges. Experts say people don’t understand the risk.

PART 3: Tampa Bay is at huge flood risk. What should we do about it?

INTERACTIVE MAP: Search your Tampa Bay neighborhood to see the risk of hurricane flooding.

Related posts:

  1. North Africa: Adrar issues exposed as Sahara desert heats up
  2. Migrants rescued in remote Sahara desert
  3. Annual dust cloud from the Sahara Desert is en route to Mexico
  4. Paul Skipworth tackles seven-day Sahara Desert ultramarathon

CATEGORIES

  • Fragile States
  • Kalahari desert
  • Namib desert
  • Sahara desert
  • Savanna desert

RECENT POSTS

  • In South Dakota and Nebraska Deep Red, voters used ballot initiatives to reduce inequality
  • Innovative solution for financial ills
  • “We were abandoned in the desert at 2 a.m.”: migrants expelled from Algeria to Niger
  • ILoveBoobies participates in Desert Dash
  • Land Bank Self-sufficiency is a mirage in the desert | News, Sports, Jobs

ARCHIVES

  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • January 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • January 2016
  • November 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • January 2014
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • November 2012
  • May 2012
  • October 2011
  • November 2010
  • April 2008
  • July 2006
  • November 2005
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions