A cloud of sand from the Sahara will come up over France this week

After the bad weather over the weekend which generated torrential rains in western Hérault, the return of drier weather is accompanied by a vigorous southerly flow. This one will bring up someair soft, but also to transport large quantities of sand from the Sahara to France and beyond, towards the British Isles and the Netherlands. The autan wind blows up to 100 km / h in the Southwest on Monday, propelling these dust particles across the whole region. A situation that occurs on average one to three times a year in the south of France, with varying intensity.

Dusty skies and episode of pollution in sight

This week’s episode will be quite strong, especially this Tuesday, and a fine layer of sand will be present on the roads and cars of the Occitania region. That rising sand is not insignificant, since during the strongest episodes, a fine particle pollution peak can be registered. This deterioration in air quality linked to PM10 particles is likely to aggravate respiratory problems in people who are already sensitive.

This atmosphere dusty also has another consequence, that of veiling the sky, and even coloring it during the strongest episodes. This Tuesday and Wednesday, the sky will probably appear veiled over a large part of the country, limiting the intensity of the rays of Sun. It is even possible that this milky sky takes on a slightly orange color and an impression of “red sun”, as has already happened in recent years in the same type of situation. weather report.