The dust from North Africa is back and will affect the quality of the air, “with greater expression in the regions of Alentejo and Algarve”, today and tomorrow, Friday and Saturday, warned the General Directorate of Health.
According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere, dust is the consequence of a mass of hot air, associated with a southern current.
This current will carry “dust from North Africa, at medium and high levels of the troposphere”, which can cause “reduction of visibility”, in addition to potential health hazards.
In a statement, the DGS warns of “the occurrence of a situation of poor air quality on the Continent for the 20th of May, which may still have effects on the 21st of May”.
«This situation is due to the intrusion of an air mass from the deserts of North Africa, which carries suspended dust and crosses mainland Portugal, with greater expression in the regions of Alentejo and Algarve, due to the increase in concentrations of inhalable particles of natural origin in the air", explains the same entity.
“This pollutant (inhalable particles – PM10) has effects on human health, mainly on the most sensitive population, children and the elderly, whose health care must be redoubled during the occurrence of these situations”, he adds.
In this way, warns the DGS, “the general population should avoid prolonged efforts, limit physical activity outdoors and avoid exposure to risk factors, such as tobacco smoke and contact with irritating products”.
The most vulnerable groups, namely "children, the elderly, patients with chronic respiratory problems, and cardiovascular patients", in addition to complying with the recommendations for the general population, "should, whenever possible, remain inside buildings and , preferably with the windows closed'.
Another consequence of suspended dust may be a decrease in air temperature.
According to the website MeteoAlentejo, the extremely high concentration of this dust “will cover the sun, preventing temperatures from reaching higher values, as has been speculated”.
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