For a second consecutive day, the serious phenomenon of African dust continues today, being present almost across the entire country, with meteorological stations also recording temperatures up to 33 degrees Celsius in northern parts of Crete.
According to meteorologist Klearchos Marousakis’ analysis, a new dust “invasion” is expected from Sunday, mainly in the beginning of the following week, although it will be milder compared to this one.
The high temperatures in northern Crete are due to the quite warm air masses that have come to Greece from Africa. However, this differentiation observed in this area compared to the average maximum temperatures recorded is related to the topography displayed by the region in combination with the wind field prevailing. More specifically, southern winds prevailed in the area, which, as they interacted with the mountainous volumes of the island, created wind descents, winds which, as they descend from the mountain slopes, are significantly reinforced and simultaneously heated since they are directed towards areas of higher barometric pressure. Thus, the already warm air mass was further strengthened, leading the temperature higher than what is generally seen in Greece.
Regarding the course of the African dust, after this strong phenomenon of African dust, the overall situation is expected to gradually normalize from this afternoon onwards, especially from the west, as the wind will shift northwesterly, pushing these large quantities towards Turkey and Cyprus. Thus, the air quality will significantly improve tomorrow and over the weekend. However, this will not last long, as a new, milder phenomenon of African dust will affect Greece from Sunday onwards, mainly in the beginning of the following week.
