Incredible Dust storm enters Senegal Yesterday!!

Since Friday, we have been watching the possibility of a heavy dust event in Senegal as a warm thermal low moved from Algeria across Mali into Senegal.  The models that forecast dust storms were mainly in agreement with this heavy dust event coming into Senegal.  On Saturday, dust started to stream out of the country as seen on satellite.

Saturday afternoon June 21 Aqua Satellite image over Coastal Africa

This dust, while hazardous especially bad for the young and elderly and those with Asthma because the particle size is about 1-10 microns and can severely impact breathing capacity. The smaller sized particles will penetrate deep into the lungs.  

Sunday Morning, Visible satellite images continued to showed additional dust streaming off the coast of Africa.  You can notice that the Senegal River in the Eastern part of the country is becoming obscure.

Sunday morning June 22 Tera Satellite image over Coastal Africa

During the afternoon, even higher amounts of dust were seen coming off the coast suggesting that conditions were getting worse.  At this point the Senegal River in the East cannot be seen because of large amounts of dust.

Sunday Afternoon June 22 Aqua Satellite image over Coastal Africa

The European Space Agency satellite which can detect dust show very large quantities of dust moving over Senegal (in Magenta) and some of this dust was being lifted by a weather system.  

Sunday Afternoon June 22 at 4pm EUMETSAT Dust Images.  Dust is the Magenta color

As the dust entered into Senegal, this is a picture from my colleague Dr. Drame from Northern Senegal that was sent to him.  The dust has

Sunday Afternoon June 22 picture in Northern Senegal (Podor) during the dust event.

The dust reached the capital city of Dakar at approximately 8-10 PM last night and I am told dust is covering the city.  Waiting to hear the dust concentrations, but the aerosol optical thickness is 2.6 which is very high.  Our lidar measurements from the roof at the university show high dust concentrations from the ground  to 2 km (5000-6000 ft)

Dakar, Senegal Ceilometer intensity measurements for June 22-23.

My colleague Dr. Amadou Gaye has send me some pictures of the dust plume from the lab this morning.

Picture looking out towards the ocean from the lab.  Yes this is dust

The worst of the dust is over, as the plume is now out over the Atlantic but may still have an effect in the Caribbean as the winds will carry suspended particles there.

June 23 CIMSS 9AM Visible satellite of Dust leaving Senegal 

The health effects of this dust storm are unknown at present, but I have sent emails to my colleagues in Senegal, including some who work in the hospitals to alert them that there may be respiratory cases coming into the hospital.   The Ministry of environment I believe is also alerting the hospitals countrywide about the hazardous conditions.   The models continue to suggest poor air quality this week because of dust.  We will continue to forecast and monitor.