Saharan dust plume spreads across European skies
A massive plume of Saharan dust is moving across southwestern Europe in early March 2026, affecting air quality in several countries. This outbreak has caused severe air quality degradation in the area, with Particulate Matter (PM10) concentrations exceeding EU standards. National Weather Services have issued health warnings, recommending vulnerable groups to limit outdoor exposure.
This visualisation, based on Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) data acquired on 5 March 2026 at 12:00 UTC, shows a large dust plume extending from the North African coast across Europe, reaching Portugal, Spain, Italy, and France, and stretching as far as the United Kingdom.
CAMS provides near-real-time monitoring and forecasts of global atmospheric composition, including information on dust plumes and their dispersion. These data support the assessment of air pollutants and aerosols and help track their transport in the atmosphere. Current forecasts indicate that the plume visualised in the image will continue moving towards Scandinavia in the coming days.
