Health Alert Issued as Saharan Dust Cloud Descends on Greece, Storms Batter the North

Greece's National Meteorological Service has issued a wellness alert arsenic a dense Saharan particulate unreality swept crossed the state from westbound to east, portion a fast-moving tempest strategy simultaneously unleashed thunderstorms, hail and flash flood risks crossed bluish and cardinal regions.

Research manager Konstantinos Lagouvardos urged children, the aged and anyone with respiratory conditions to bounds outdoor exposure. "Vulnerable groups indispensable workout utmost caution," Mr. Lagouvardos said, adding that the particulate unreality is expected to wide substantially by aboriginal Sunday morning, with occidental Crete facing the heaviest ground-level particulate concentrations overnight Saturday.

The tempest beforehand is tracking crossed the Ionian islands, Epirus, occidental Central Greece and Macedonia, bringing dense rain, sporadic thunderstorms and localized hail done Saturday afternoon.

Civil extortion authorities person been placed connected alert for flash flooding successful the worst-affected areas.

Southerly winds of up to 6 Beaufort volition displacement northwesterly by evening arsenic the strategy moves toward the northeastern Aegean.

Temperatures stay comparatively mild contempt the disruption, ranging from 22°C to 24°C crossed the Ionian islands and Cyclades, and peaking astatine 28°C successful eastbound Greece and Crete.

The dual upwind lawsuit — godforsaken particulate from Africa converging with a bluish tempest beforehand — is accordant with progressively predominant outpouring upwind patterns that meteorologists person linked to shifting atmospheric circulation implicit the eastbound Mediterranean.