Trade winds are kicking up plumes of sand and dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa, which began to affect sections of the Caribbean as early as Friday (February 19).

The annual Saharan Dust cloud has activated a haze advisory by the Barbados Meteorological Service. The Barbadian Met Service, in anticipation of the plume, is warning residents of reduced visibility and air quality by Saturday, which it expects to gradually worsen into Sunday.

“Expect slight hazy conditions from the afternoon of Saturday becoming progressively thicker into Saturday night and Sunday,” the agency noted.

“Residents, visitors, and marine users should be prepared to take action, as a significant reduction in visibility is either likely or already occurring,” it added.

The Bajan Met Office advised that persons with respiratory issues or allergies should ensure that they travel with, or have close at hand, all prescribed medications.

Marine interests are also being encouraged to closely monitor the situation, along with future forecasts for any further deterioration.

Forecasters in Jamaica, however, are not yet eyeing the dust plume with the local met office identifying a high-pressure ridge and jet stream as the dominant weather influences for the next 72 hours.

According to a representative from the Airport Division of the Jamaica Meteorological Service, the likelihood of the dust plume affecting the island is currently low, but the agency will update the public if the situation changes.

A dramatic display of airborne dust particles was observed on Thursday, February 18, by the National Space and Aeronautics Administration’s (NASA) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), located on the NOAA-20 spacecraft.

More than 180 million tons of dust blow out from North Africa, lofted from the Sahara Desert by strong seasonal winds, according to NASA’s Earth Observatory.

Several huge, showy plumes advance across the tropical Atlantic Ocean toward the Americas, however, sections of Europe are also affected by the natural phenomenon.

Scientists observed the largest plumes in modern history last summer, when the Saharan dust darkened skies across the Caribbean and United States in June 2020.