African dust streams over the Canary Islands
Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features a large dust storm that was stirred up in northwest Africa and swept over the Canary Islands.
The dust turned the sky orange, and visibility and air quality plummeted. As wind gusts reached 40 miles) per hour, the Ministry of Heath advised people, especially those with respiratory issues, to stay inside.
NASA explained that these dust events, known to islanders as “la calima,” generally happen around this time of year as strong seasonal winds carry sand and dust away from the Sahara.
The image of dust streaming over the Canary Islands was captured on January 14, 2022 by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NOAA-20 satellite.
Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/ Joshua Stevens/ Lauren Dauphin
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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer
