Eerie scenes from African dust in Crete: Flight disruptions in Heraklion, tornado overturns truck

Problems are being recorded successful Crete owed to terrible upwind combined with aggravated African dust, which is affecting aerial question connected the island. At Heraklion “Nikos Kazantzakis” Airport, visibility has dropped significantly, forcing astatine slightest 2 craft to divert to different airports for landing.

According to reports, visibility has been reduced to astir 1,000 meters, a level considered unsafe for landings, causing delays and formation diversions. Two craft person already been redirected: a SKY Express formation from Brussels diverted to Athens, portion a British Airways formation from London was rerouted to Corfu.

The concern remains nether monitoring, arsenic the African particulate continues to interaction visibility and airdrome operations, creating operational difficulties for airlines and delays successful arrivals.

Once again, Ierapetra has been deed by terrible weather, with waves reaching the archetypal houses of the aged town. At the aforesaid time, a tornado overturned a motortruck successful Pachia Ammos, portion African particulate has blanketed Crete.

Heraklion resembles the Sahara, with a “veil” of African particulate covering the metropolis and astir obscuring the port. The improvement is presently astatine its peak.

Beyond the yellow-tinged landscape, the precocious attraction of particulate has made the ambiance suffocating. The improvement is expected to gradually subside aboriginal successful the afternoon.

The African particulate has besides covered Rethymno, wherever the scenery present appears astir tropical. At the aforesaid time, beardown southerly winds are intensifying, worsening the upwind conditions.

Authorities impulse citizens to workout caution, debar unnecessary travel, and thrust carefully.

Chania has besides been engulfed by a unreality of African dust, sharply reducing visibility. Light rainfall has turned the particulate into mud, covering courtyards, homes, and vehicles.

According to the determination observatory of Crete, aerial prime successful cardinal Chania is classified arsenic very poor, with PM10 particle levels acold exceeding harmless limits.

Extremely precocious particulate concentrations

Meteorologists study highly precocious levels of African dust, exceeding 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre of aerial connected Wednesday, April 1. According to probe manager Kostas Lagouvardos of the National Observatory of Athens, suspended particle concentrations are exceptionally precocious crossed Crete.

These levels are expected to gradually alteration by the evening, though a caller particulate occurrence is forecast for Thursday.

Tornado overturns motortruck successful Ierapetra

In the Pachia Ammos area, a almighty tornado overturned a motortruck that was preparing to load export cultivation products. It besides uprooted 2 conifer trees, damaged 2 greenhouses, and caused the illness of a partition astatine a ceramics factory.

This marks the 4th superior incidental this year, attributed to beardown sirocco winds affecting the region.

Fishermen pass that the harbor remains unprotected and unsafe, portion residents are advised to debar the coastal portion until the terrible upwind subsides.

Coastal roads and areas adjacent greenhouses and factories stay high-risk, and authorities impulse contiguous caution from some residents and drivers.