Saharan dust swirls into South Florida; experts advise residents to limit time outdoors

A dusty day across South Florida caused by the latest wave of dust from Africa prompted experts to issue a wellness warning to local residents The Saharan dust has arrived to the Sunshine State so experts caution particular residents to limit their time outdoors Cameras show haze hovering over downtown Miami Friday afternoon This is what the dust looks like when it blankets the region Cassandra Gaston is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Miami s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science She declared this is hardly the first time South Florida has been hit with the Sahara dust We saw that in during the so-called Godzilla dust event We measured selected pretty bad levels of particulate matter she mentioned And it is the particulate matter in the dust cloud that puts several people at danger The American Lung Association says Saharan dust particles are very small which makes them easy to inhale into the lungs People with chronic conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary syndrome are majority at danger but anyone can have respiratory effects related to dust exposure Saharan dust is definitely just a cloud of dust from the Saharan desert that travels across the Atlantic Ocean to South Florida It is a normal situation The dust gets transported to the Caribbean and to the Gulf as well as to southern Florida pretty regularly in the summertime mentioned Gaston Gaston stated sometimes the dust is particularly thick like what South Floridians are seeing this week According to the Centers for Ailment Control and Prevention people should stay indoors as much as attainable when there is a high dust concentration In addition to respiratory issues the CDC says heavy dust levels can also lead to eye and skin irritation The dust is expected to remain in place through the weekend People who have to work outside are advised to wear a face mask protect themselves Pets suffer the same responses so experts advise owners to keep them inside as well