Like Scenes from Dune: Greece Blanketed in Dense Sahara Dust, Heatwave, Forest Fires Erupt

On Tuesday, Athens and southern Greece were once again covered with dense Saharan dust, the yellow and orange hues of which created an unearthly atmosphere, as if in the film Dune. 

Photo: Like Scenes from Dune: Greece Blanketed in Dense Sahara Dust, Heatwave, Forest Fires Erupt. Source: Getty Images 

The high concentration of dust particles has affected most people with respiratory conditions "due to the deterioration of air quality", according to the Hellenic Lung Society.

The frequency and intensity of the Saharan dust phenomenon in Greece can vary from year to year, from 7 to 20 episodes (average of 13 episodes per year), depending on atmospheric conditions and the amount of dust transported from the Sahara.

Photo: Like Scenes from Dune: Greece Blanketed in Dense Sahara Dust, Heatwave, Forest Fires Erupt. Source: Getty Images  

The daytime maximum temperature in some parts of the southern island of Crete exceeded 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), more than 20 degrees higher than was recorded in most of northern Greece.

Skies are expected to clear today, Wednesday, as winds shift and move dust and temperatures drop.

Strong southerly winds over the past few days have also sparked unseasonably early forest fires in the south of the country.

The fire service reported on Tuesday evening that a total of 25 wildfires had broken out across the country in the last 24 hours. Three people were detained on the resort island of Paros in the Aegean Sea on suspicion of accidentally setting fire to a bushfire on Monday. There were no reports of significant damage or injuries, and the fire was quickly contained.

Another fire that broke out in Crete near a naval base was brought under control on Tuesday.

Greece is plagued by devastating and often deadly wildfires every summer, and last year the country saw the largest wildfire in the European Union in more than two decades. The persistent drought, combined with high spring temperatures, has raised fears of a particularly challenging period for firefighters in the coming months. 

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Photo: Like Scenes from Dune: Greece Blanketed in Dense Sahara Dust, Heatwave, Forest Fires Erupt. Source: Getty Images