The atmosphere around Athens on Wednesday was full of sand and dust blown in from North Africa, leaving the skies over Attica cloudy, and visibility limited.
Dust clouds containing fine sand have been blown over parts of southern and central Europe this week, with doctors warning vulnerable people — the elderly, children and those with respiratory problems — to be cautious.
The sand and dust situation is expected to improve by the end of this week.
The phenomenon of Saharan sand being transferred to Europe is not rare, since every time strong winds come from the south, large quantities of sand are drawn up and transported all the way to Southern Europe.
This can occur even during the wintertime; this past winter, even the snowcapped peaks on Crete were tinged with peach-colored African sand.