Acropolis apocalypse: Skies turn orange, red over Greece, Libya
The sky turned hues of red and orange in Libya and Greece Tuesday evening as a massive dust storm dimmed the sun.
A red haze enveloped Derna in eastern Libya on Tuesday, April 23, as a dust storm moved through the region.
A potent weather system in Europe pulled Saharan dust up from the desert into Libya and Greece late Tuesday, turning skies red and orange. Famous spots in Athens, like the Acropolis, were shrouded in orange and red hues. A local weather researcher said it was the worst dust storm in the area since 2018.
In Benghazi and Derna, cities in northern Libya, Africa, on the Mediterranean Sea, videos showed scenes of apocalyptic orange and red skies, buildings and trees. The dust storm was accompanied by winds as high as 45 mph (70 km/h) according to The Libya Observer. On satellite, dust could be seen over a wide part of Libya's northern coast, stretching southward into the desert and northward over the Mediterranean Sea.
AccuWeather AQI (Air Quality) readings were in the Unhealthy to Dangerous levels in much of northern Libya and Egypt on the evening of Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
AccuWeather's Air Quality readings for Derna, Libya, were still in the unhealthy range at 9 p.m. Tuesday local time -- 128 AQI -- a number at which healthy individuals may experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation with prolonged exposure. That number was forecast to fall slowly to 75 AQI by Wednesday evening.
Air quality was also reaching unhealthy levels in parts of Greece due to dust blowing northward over the Mediterranean Sea.
A satellite animation shows clouds (white and gray) and dust (yellow) moving over the city of Derna, which experienced a heavy dust storm. (NOAA/CIRA)
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