The large Saharan dust plume began moving across the Atlantic Ocean on May 28. By June 4, the hazy cloud had reached the shores of Florida. (Photo credit: NOAA/CIRA)
Satellites recently recorded a massive cloud of “Sahara dust” blowing out to sea from the planet’s largest desert. The foggy mass later traveled more than 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) to North America, where it polluted the atmosphere of Florida and other states.
Early on May 28, 2025, a significant cloud of dust and sand began billowing over the Sahara and Atlantic Ocean, according to a statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). About a week later, on June 4, the cloud reached the shores of Florida, and its trail also reached Louisiana, Texas, and other areas along the Gulf Coast. Along the way, it also temporarily blanketed the skies of several Caribbean countries, including Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.
A satellite image taken by GOES-19, which is operated jointly by NASA and NOAA, showed the cloud as it began its transatlantic journey. At the time, it covered an area of about 240,000 square miles (620,000 square kilometers) between Cape Verde — an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands in the central Atlantic — and the coast of West Africa, including the shores of Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.
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Sourse: www.livescience.com
