WILLEMSTAD - You have probably already noticed; we are dealing with Sahara sand over Curaçao and a large part of the Caribbean again. The thin mass of dust from the Sahara will continue to exist in the coming days.
The presence of this mass will cause whitish air and possible health problems for people who suffer from allergies or suffer from respiratory problems.
It is normal to see this dust appear over our area during this time of year and months to come. But what is the dust of the Sahara or better known as the Saharan Air Layer? The Saharan Air Layer (SAL) is an intensely dry, warm, and sometimes dust-laden layer of the atmosphere that lies above the cooler, more humid air of the Atlantic. In the Sahara Desert in North Africa, where it comes from, it is the prevailing atmosphere, stretching several kilometers from the surface. As it travels across the ocean, it is hoisted above the denser sea air.
During hurricane season, this layer is one of the factors that reduces the formation of new tropical waves from Africa and thus inhibits development. As tropical waves intensify toward the peak of the season, the amount of dust from the Sahara above the Atlantic sea also decreases. This usually starts in the month of July.
Olav Geijs, Caribbean Weather Center