A strong wave of African dust is hitting Cyprus hard in 2026. The ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence warns about very high dust levels and poor visibility.
Measurements from the Cypriot Atmospheric Remote Sensing Observatory (CARO) show dust levels over 2,000 micrograms per cubic meter. Visibility has fallen below two kilometers at one kilometer above ground.
This dust comes from the Sahara and mostly affects the lower atmosphere. It is expected to peak in Limassol tonight, according to the MONARCH predictive model.
Near-ground dust levels could reach 500 μg/m³, which is up to ten times higher than safe air quality limits. Rain may help clear some of the dust through wet deposition.
