Crete covered by cloud of sand from the Sahara desert

Sahara Sand over Crete

Today, April 17, 2005, the people of Crete but also Rhodes, Peloponnese and Athens experienced a rare meteorological phenomenon. The strong south winds of the last couple of days, combined with a sand storm in the Sahara desert in Africa, carried a lot of sand and a reddish cloud covered the southern part of Greece.

The air was full of this Sahara dust and it looked like a yellowish-reddish fog covered everything. The airports of Chania, Heraklion and Rhodes were closed since noon today because of the very low visibility.

It is not rare in the winter months that strong south winds bring the Sahara sand with them. If it rains during these days, then it is like thin mud falling from the sky. The owners of cars suffer these moments, as their cars need urgently washing afterwards.

However, this time the phenomenon was more intense and the fog that covered Crete was extremely unusual. Images speak for themselves, so take a look at the following photos from the area of Heraklion today: