More Saharan Dust is heading this way.
This new plume being monitored by the Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS) comes exactly one month to the day after the last plume was captured by satellite imagery.
According to the European Space Agency, a large dust storm originating from the Sahara Desert has engulfed skies across the central Mediterranean Basin struck on April 3, 2024.
As a result of the suspended particles, there was a haze over the area and poor air quality.
Images from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission show the dust over Tunisia, Sicily, central Italy and Croatia.
What is the Sentinel-2?
Sentinel-2 provides high-resolution optical imagery for land services. It provides for example, imagery of vegetation, soil and water cover, inland waterways and coastal areas. Sentinel-2 also delivers information for emergency services.
Sentinel-2 comprises a constellation of two polar-orbiting satellites and monitors variability in land surface conditions. With its wide swath of 290 km, along with its short revisit time, Sentinel-2 allows rapid changes to be monitored.
The dust is a visible example of air pollution and is harmful to human health, aggravating many pre-existing respiratory conditions. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) helps monitor and forecast air quality on a global scale by assessing the concentration of atmospheric particulate matter, as well as modelling its transport and dispersion.
A new image has not been shared for the plume under surveillance by the local met office as yet.
Dust haze May 2
Local information about impending haze next week below:
The Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS) today issued a Dust Haze statement to alert citizens, residents and tourists on island that it is closely monitoring a large plume of dust haze in the eastern to central Atlantic.
The statement said although model guidance suggests that the thick concentrations should weaken slightly, dust concentrations are likely to increase across Barbados and the marine area from as early as Sunday, May 5, 2024.
The event is expected to last until no later than Wednesday, May 8, 2024.
At this time, May 2, there are no advisories or warnings in effect for the island as a result of this impending event.
Impact
The BMS advises that skies may appear slightly yellowish during the day and there could be a reduction in visibility due to dust haze over land and marine areas from as early as Sunday.
Take action
The public is encouraged to monitor the BMS, Disaster Emergency Management (DEM), and Government Information Services (GIS) websites and their respective social media pages along with the local media networks for further updates over the coming days.
Additionally, any advice provided by the Ministry of Health and Wellness should be followed.
This information statement was issued at 5 pm, today, Thursday, May 2, 2024 and will be updated at 5 pm Friday, May3, 2024.
For more dust haze information specific to your area, please visit https://www.barbadosweather.org/dustHAZEBarResp.php, our social media pages or call our hotline at 976-2376 or the office at 535-0022.
