Stormy southern winds have led to an extremely high concentration of Sahara Dust particles covered Crete on Wednesday, April 1, turning the island in the southern Aegean Sea into a landscape from Blade Runner or the planet Mars.
Below: Rethymno at 4 p.m. on wed, april 1, 2026
Pictures and footage show the color of the sky and the suffocating atmosphere in all all shades of yellow, orange and red.
Chania
The concentration of the fine Sahara Dust particles is up to 20 times above the safety limit and authorities have issued recommendations for vulnerable groups of the society.
Kalyves
Φωτό: Ειρήνη Καλαιτζάκη
Sfakia
Φωτογραφίες: Γιάννης Κατσικογιάννης (Fb)
Problems at Heraklio airport
The Sahara dust has caused serious problems at the Heraklion airport as it dramatically reduced visibility to extremely low levels. Local media reported of at least ten airplanes that remained in the air flying rounds, unable to land safely. Flights from major European cities such as Londond, Frankfurt and Brussels had to be diverted to the airports of Athens and Corfu.
Visibility in the area is limited, reaching approximately 1,000 meters, while winds are blowing at up to 35 knots. Under these conditions, only takeoffs are taking place until 1:00 in the morning.
The Phenomenon
Απόκοσμη γίνεται ή εικόνα από το πολύ έντονο κύμα αφρικανικής σκόνης στην Κρήτη. Περιοχή χωριό Αχεντρια Αστερουσια Όρη
Βίντεο : Γιάννης Παπαδάκης pic.twitter.com/2x8A4cwCMh
— Forecast Weather Greece (@ForecastGreece) April 1, 2026
The atmosphere on the island is suffocating, the situation is described as “particularly difficult”, with estimates converging that the problems will intensify in the coming hours, as the phenomenon remains strong.
The competent services of the Region of Crete inform that, according to the upcoming meteorological conditions that favor the transport of the dust, the phenomenon is expected to peak during the midday hours of Thursday, April 2, 2026 throughout Crete.
The concentrations of micro-particles in the atmosphere of Rethymno are twenty times above the safety limit.
The measurements of the two meteorological stations in Rethymno and Adele, which have been installed by the National Observatory of Athens
In particular, it is estimated that the daily average concentration of suspended particles (PM10) may exceed 100 μg/m³ mainly in Eastern Crete (Regional Units of Heraklion and Lassithi), while in Western Crete the phenomenon is expected to be milder, with a possible exceedance of 75 μg/m³.
According to forecasts, the phenomenon is expected to subside from Friday, April 3, 2026.
Forecasts and monitoring of the Sahara Dust phenomenon in real-time, according to CAMS data, are available on the AtmoHub portal HERE.
Recommendations for people at increased risk
People with respiratory problems, heart patients, children and people over 65 years of age are advised to limit intense physical activity, especially outdoors.
People with asthma may need to use their reliever inhaled medications more frequently, according to the instructions of their treating physician.
Elderly people and people with chronic diseases are advised to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel, especially during peak hours of the phenomenon.
People who experience symptoms such as eye irritation, cough, nasal congestion, difficulty breathing or throat irritation are advised to limit physical activity, especially outdoors.
It is recommended to avoid prolonged stay in outdoor areas.
sources: neakriti, cretalive, zarpanews
