A thicker plume of Saharan dust is barrelling towards the Caribbean, even as the region is presently under its influence on Thursday (July 22).

From sections of the Bahamas in the north, Belize in the west, and as far as St Vincent in the southeast—satellite imagery tracking the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) shows that the dust is completely dominating regional skies.

There seems to be no end to the repeated waves of Saharan dust just yet, with the Trinidad and Tobago Health Ministry urging vulnerable groups of the population to take necessary precautions.

Persons with pre-existing lung conditions such as asthma, pre-existing heart disease, children and the elderly are at higher risk of complications due to high levels of Saharan dust, the ministry indicated.

The dry air associated with Saharan dust, a mortal enemy of storm development, can also induce hotter-than-usual temperatures.

Jamaican skies remain a ‘dirty’ brown since changing yesterday when the island was covered by a plume of dust from Africa’s largest desert.

See related articles below:

• More Saharan dust likely for Jamaica as Eastern Caribbean shrouded
• Saharan dust plume creeps closer to Jamaica; more of the Caribbean under its influence