Record Levels of African Dust Recorded Over Cyprus by Eratosthenes Center

The Eratosthenes Center has recorded high levels of African dust over Cyprus, reporting record-breaking measurements. The peak of the phenomenon is expected during the evening hours for Limassol.

According to a press release, this is the first intense episode of African dust transport from the Sahara to Cyprus for 2026, observed in the lower layers of the atmosphere, up to 2 km from the ground.

The Cyprus Atmospheric Remote Sensing Observatory (CARO) recorded dust concentrations exceeding 2000 μgr/m^3 and reduced visibility below 2 km at an altitude of 1 km from the ground.

A gradual decrease in dust is expected on Thursday morning, with a possible reappearance during the evening hours of the same day. The episode is accompanied by rainfall, which is expected to lead to wet deposition.

The Eratosthenes Center of Excellence and CARO continue to monitor the situation.