After smothering the Caribbean, a massive cloud of Saharan dust is heading toward the southern United States.
This natural phenomenon happens every year and is about to create spectacular sunsets across Florida and other Gulf states.
In addition to the fantastic views, the dust is expected to suppress the formation of potentially destructive tropical storms.
The Saharan dust cloud, roughly the size of the continental United States, is currently making its way across the Atlantic Ocean.
Weather experts have identified this as the largest such event of the 2025 season.
It stretches an incredible 2,000 miles from Jamaica to beyond Barbados and 750 miles from the Turks and Caicos Islands down to Trinidad and Tobago.
For Americans living in Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, the dust is expected to arrive later this week and into the weekend.
This natural occurrence is part of Earth’s normal weather patterns that have been happening for centuries.
This year’s dust concentration is significant, with meteorologists measuring an aerosol optical depth of .55, the highest recorded this year.
While this may sound concerning, weather experts explain that the Saharan Air Layer is a regular occurrence between mid-June and late July.
It forms over the Sahara Desert and moves westward across the Atlantic from April to October.
“It’s like rinse and repeat every year, it’s part of a normal cycle of Earth’s oscillations,” explains meteorologist Sammy Hadi.
One significant benefit of the Saharan dust is its ability to suppress tropical storm formation, a welcome natural protection during hurricane season.
The dry air introduced by the dust prevents thunderstorms from developing, effectively reducing the likelihood of tropical storms forming in the Atlantic.
Jason Dunion, a meteorologist studying these phenomena, explained: “There’s a lot of dry air, and you don’t feel that dry air, but the clouds feel it because as they grow and form thunderstorms, they run into that dry air and they just collapse.”
The dust typically travels at altitudes between 5,000 and 20,000 feet above the ground, with June and July experiencing the highest concentrations.
The current plume has been described as creating a “London fog” effect with an “orange glow” at sunset, promising spectacular visuals for residents in affected areas.
Health officials do recommend that people with respiratory issues, asthma, or severe allergies stay indoors when the dust concentration is highest or wear face masks if venturing outside.
The dust storms typically subside by August and September, making way for the peak of hurricane season.
