Saharan dust blankets Switzerland, skies turn cloudy and yellow
Switzerland finds itself under a peculiar phenomenon as an extraordinary volume of Saharan dust settles over the country. Meteorologist Roman Brogli from SRF Meteo reveals that Saturday witnessed an influx equivalent to a staggering 180,000 tonnes of dust, a revelation gleaned from forecast models.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Русский
ru
Песок из Сахары окрасил небо Швейцарии в желтые тона
Brogli underscores the magnitude of this occurrence, noting it surpasses previous events which typically delivered only half as much dust. The surge in dust was propelled by a robust southerly current, ferrying particles from the Sahara desert in northern Africa to Swiss skies as early as Friday.
The Sahara stands as the planet’s primary source of mineral dust, emitting between 60 to 200 million tonnes annually. While larger particles precipitate swiftly, smaller ones embark on journeys spanning thousands of kilometres, traversing entire continents, including Europe. These Saharan dust events significantly contribute to aerosol pollution, particularly in the transitional seasons of spring and autumn.
The presence of Saharan dust alters atmospheric dynamics, manifesting in a yellowish hue across the skies and enhancing the spectacle of sunrises and sunsets. Moreover, when settling upon snow, it can impede outdoor activities like skiing.
Additionally, the introduction of dust particles introduces complexities to weather forecasting, influencing cloud formation and posing an added challenge to meteorologists. However, from a natural perspective, these minerals serve as potent fertilisers, enriching the environment.
Health Considerations
While the influx of Saharan dust captures attention, its health implications remain minimal for the majority. Natural particulate matter accounts for only a fraction of overall particulate concentration, suggesting negligible effects on public health.
The Sahara, spanning over nine million square kilometres, stands as Earth’s largest dry desert, stretching across the African continent from the Atlantic to the Red Sea coastlines.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.