Saharan Dust Turns Greece’s Crete Skies Orange As Storm Grounds Flights, Halts Work

Orange Skies: The skies over Greece’s island of Crete turned orange on Wednesday after a cloud of African dust moved over the island, covering the area in a thick haze. The dust originated from the Sahara Desert and was carried by strong southern winds. The phenomenon reduced visibility and affected daily life across Crete, especially in the city of Heraklion.

Dust From Sahara: The dust haze spread across Heraklion, where people were seen walking through the dusty air as sand particles filled the atmosphere. Some residents wore face masks while moving through the city. The horizon appeared yellow and orange, and visibility across streets, buildings and the port area was reduced due to the dust in the air.

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City In Haze: The dust cloud covered public areas and landmarks across Heraklion. People continued walking through the haze, and birds were seen perched on trees under the dusty sky. The haze also surrounded the Natural History Museum of Crete, where dinosaur sculptures outside the museum were partially obscured by the dust-filled air.

Storm Erminio: The Saharan dust arrived while Greece was being affected by Storm Erminio, which brought heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and strong winds across the country. The strong southern winds linked to the storm helped carry the dust from North Africa to Crete and intensified the dusty conditions across the island and surrounding regions.

Flight Disruptions: Flights were disrupted due to reduced visibility caused by the dust cloud. Planes were grounded at Heraklion’s main airport, and at least two flights were diverted after visibility dropped to around 1,000 metres, which is considered unsafe for landing. Flight delays were expected to continue until visibility improved and the dust cloud cleared.

Extreme Dust Levels: Meteorologists reported extremely high dust concentrations, exceeding 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter of air. The phenomenon is known as “calima,” which occurs when dust from the Sahara Desert is carried across the Mediterranean toward southern Europe. Experts said this dust event was more intense than typical calima events recorded in the region.

Health Advice: Health experts advised caution due to high levels of airborne particles, especially for vulnerable groups such as people with respiratory problems. Authorities advised residents to limit outdoor activity where possible to reduce exposure to dust in the air as the haze continued to affect air quality across Crete and other affected regions.

Storm Damage: Storm Erminio also caused damage in parts of Crete. A truck was flipped in the coastal area of Pachia Ammos, two pine trees were uprooted, two greenhouses were damaged and a wall at a ceramics factory collapsed due to strong winds. In Ierapetra, strong southerly winds pushed large waves over houses along the old town coast.

Emergency Measures: Authorities introduced emergency labour measures starting Wednesday, April 1, after warnings from the National Meteorological Service and consultations with civil protection authorities. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security said the measures were intended to reduce risks for workers exposed to hazardous outdoor conditions, including dust and severe weather.

Work Suspension: A mandatory suspension of outdoor manual work was imposed from 6pm to 10pm in Attica, Central Greece, Thessaly, including the Sporades islands, the Peloponnese, the South Aegean and parts of northern Greece. The measure does not apply to healthcare, transportation and public utilities, but employers must protect workers. Businesses that fail to comply face fines of 2,000 euros per employee, and remote work was encouraged where possible.

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