Strong North Atlantic Storm Sucks up Saharan Sand and Dust and Swirls it Into a Giant Cyclone

Along the way, the sand and dust streamed across the Canary Islands, causing chaos.

ImaGeo iconImaGeo
By Tom Yulsman
Feb 26, 2020 8:00 PMFeb 27, 2020 3:13 PM
Saharan Dust Storm
As seen by the GOES-16 satellite, Saharan dust spirals within the circulation of a large storm system in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean on Feb. 24, 2020. (Credit: RAMMB/CIRA SLIDER)

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It began last Saturday — a dense plume of dust and sand blowing from the Sahara Desert and out over Atlantic.

The sky over Spain’s Canary Islands soon turned from blue to tan — and then conditions deteriorated as a second plume of dust washed over the islands. Visibility plummeted to just tens of meters in some places. That, combined with strong winds gusting to 75 mph, forced airports to close and nearly 800 flights to be cancelled or rerouted.

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