The European Copernicus Observatory said on Tuesday that air quality in southern Europe, particularly in Spain, was affected early in the week by a large influx of dust from the Sahara that began over the weekend.

“This dust is affecting air quality across much of the western Mediterranean, particularly in Spain, where high levels of PM10 (particles smaller than 10 micrometres in diameter) are forecast across much of the country, with a peak in the region in July. 11,” said the bulletin of the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS), cited by Agerpres.

“Certain parts of Italy and southern France are also affected by this forecast,” he added.

“In the most affected regions, PM10 will exceed the 24-hour average exposure threshold of 50 µg/m3 set for the European Union for this type of pollutant,” Copernicus said.

“The drift of dust over Spain coincides with a heat wave that has gripped the country, both phenomena caused by warm air coming from the Sahara,” explains the observer.

• Read also: In Spain, a new episode of extreme heat – up to 44 degrees Celsius

In addition to turning the sky orange or red, this dust from sandstorms in North Africa can affect people’s health by exacerbating respiratory and cardiovascular problems, as well as energy production by reducing the efficiency of solar panels, Copernicus said.

However, these sand bales are less toxic than the ultra-fine particles produced by traffic, heating with wood, coal or fire.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), sand and dust storms mainly affect people living in arid or semi-arid regions of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia and China, posing a “serious health threat”.