Weather forecasters say that the cloud of dust pushing westward from Africa into the Atlantic Ocean continues to bring haze to Dominican skies. But the same forecasters are optimistic that the skies are clearing, at least for a few days. The Saharan Dust is a dense layer of sand, dirt and other dust that is lifted into the atmosphere and travels to the Caribbean from the North African desert.
Onamet, the local meteorological service, forecasts rains showers for Tuesday and Wednesday, primarily in the Central Mountain Range, the southeast and northeast of the country. Hot temperatures will continue.
The plumes of Saharan Dust have reduced the air quality in the capital city, which is already affected by the blaze at the dump. After two days of relief, residents in Santo Domingo awoke again to a morning of smog. The smog came after light rains that could have ignited the smoke from the Greater Santo Domingo garbage dump. Firefighters have been hard at work to put out the fire since it started on Tuesday, 28 April 2020.
The dust plumes are an annual occurrence in most of the Caribbean. The thin coverage of dust mainly affects those suffering from allergies and asthma, triggering a worsening of the conditions.
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My Fox Hurricane
Listin Diario
Onamet
12 May 2020