A fresh wave of North African desert dust began sweeping across Greece on Saturday, driven by strong southerly winds that threaten to turn skies into a hazy orange and dump "muddy rain" on northern regions through early next week.
AtmoHub, the country’s center for atmospheric monitoring, reported that the phenomenon follows the passage of a low-pressure front.
While rainfall has temporarily subsided, the incoming dust plume is expected to intensify rapidly and peak on Sunday.
The intrusion will initially impact eastern Greece before spreading nationwide.
Meteorologists warn that the highest concentrations of particulate matter will affect southern and central regions, specifically Crete, the Peloponnese, Central Greece, and the islands of the Aegean and Ionian seas.
In the north, the dust is forecast to mix with lingering precipitation systems to create muddy rainfall—a messy phenomenon known locally as "laspobrochi"—which often coats vehicles, balconies, and buildings in a reddish slime.
Health authorities typically advise vulnerable groups, including those with respiratory or heart conditions, to limit vigorous outdoor activity during such episodes as air quality deteriorates. Visibility is also expected to drop significantly in the hardest-hit areas.
AtmoHub forecasts that the dust will persist in the atmosphere until early next week before clearing, marking the latest in a series of Saharan transport events that have become increasingly common in the Mediterranean.