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Saharan Dust: A Health Threat – And An Unlikely Weather Protector

A dense blanket of Saharan dust is once again affecting Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean, bringing a serious health risk for vulnerable groups, even as it helps to suppress the development of tropical storms.

The Saint Lucia Meteorological Service and the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs have issued advisories urging people with asthma, COPD, and other respiratory illnesses to take precautions as the dust reduces air quality and visibility. “A plume of Saharan dust haze will continue to reduce visibility and air quality over the Eastern Caribbean (during the following 24 hours),” said forecaster Dr E Francis earlier this week.

Similar alerts were issued across the region this week as a wave of Saharan dust swept through the Caribbean. This annual phenomenon occurs between May and October, when winds carry dust particles from Africa’s Sahara Desert across the Atlantic to the Caribbean.

However, experts note that dry, dusty air mass — known as the Saharan Air Layer — plays a key role in dampening storm activity by limiting atmospheric moisture, especially during the June 1 to November 30 Atlantic hurricane season.

The dust originates from the Sahara, the world’s largest hot desert, where strong winds and thunderstorms lift particles into the atmosphere. These plumes travel thousands of kilometres, affecting ecosystems from the Caribbean to the Amazon rainforest and even reaching Europe and North America.

Last year, the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) published findings on Saharan dust’s impact on respiratory health, highlighting its risks due to long-distance mineral dust transport.  

“Tailored mitigation strategies, including air quality management and public health interventions, are essential for addressing these risks,” the NLM said.

The agency also acknowledged that this dry air mass, typically between 5 000 and 15 000 feet above sea level, can inhibit tropical cyclone development by reducing atmospheric moisture.

Climatologist Cedric Van Meerbeeck of the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) explained the Saharan Air Layer’s influence on hurricanes during his 2025 wet/hurricane season outlook last week.

He described the upcoming season, beginning June 1, as potentially intense but erratic, depending on Saharan dust frequency and intensity.

Looking back at 2024, Meerbeeck cited the record warm Atlantic Ocean as a key factor in the number and strength of storms, including Category 5 Hurricane Beryl.

“If it was record warm last year, that means there was more energy in the ocean, fuelling storms through evaporation and atmospheric heat,” he explained.

For 2025, he anticipates “a potentially intense, meaning very active at times, but erratic season if there’s a lot of dust”. However, he noted that scientists cannot yet predict Saharan Air Layer intrusions at a seasonal scale.

Meerbeeck likened a hurricane to a car engine’s cylinder, saying that the larger the cylinders, typically, the more power output.  

“You know that if you have less dust, that means a progressive uptick of the hurricane season; if there’s a lot of dust, it means erratic for the first half,” Meerbeeck emphasised.  

Authorities urge citizens to prepare for all possibilities and heed official advisories. The CIMH forecasts 19 named storms, with nine becoming hurricanes and four reaching major hurricane strength, though updates will follow later in the season.

Meanwhile, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency has called for full regional preparedness. In Saint Lucia, the Ministry of Health recently hosted its annual Pre-Atlantic Hurricane Season meeting, bringing together key stakeholders to review disaster plans, identify response gaps and enhance national resilience.

As the Caribbean navigates this annual phenomenon, the Saharan dust remains a paradoxical force—both a threat to health and a shield against storms.

 

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1 COMMENT

  1. I’ve already gotten much of Sahara Dust. Thanks for the news. Hope everyone can cope thought this!!!

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