Why Parts of Florida Are Seeing This Phenomenon

‘Dirty rain’ may sound dirty, but it is neither dangerous nor that strange.

Waves of Saharan dust will continue to blow over Florida, but will it also bring “dirty rain” with it?

Florida sees plumes of Saharan dust every three to five days, according to Ross Giarratana, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay weather service.

The dust brings with it the possibility of “dirty rain.” While that may sound scary and horrifying, it’s harmless. According to the Pensacola News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, some areas in Florida are expected to see dirty rain this weekend. South Florida, which includes Miami and Fort Lauderdale, has already had a “dirty rain” and areas in the panhandle could be next. But you don’t have to worry about that.

“It’s just dust,” Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane forecaster, told USA TODAY. “It’s not going to hurt you.”

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What is Sahara dust?

Sahara dust is simply dust and sand from the African continent that is carried by the wind every year around this time.

Winds known as trade winds pick up Saharan dust, lift it into the atmosphere and carry it across the Atlantic Ocean, Giarratana said. June and July are the months that bring the most dust.

This isn’t a new phenomenon, but people are talking about it more now that meteorologists are better able to predict when the dust will settle, the Pensacola News Journal reports.

How is ‘dirty rain’ formed?

When raindrops form, they tend to concentrate around particles in the atmosphere, including Saharan dust, Giarratana said.

When it rains, the collected particles fall to the ground together with the droplets.

The term itself, however, is rarely used by the National Weather Service, Giarratana said. They usually just call it the Sarahan dust.

“If it’s in high concentrations, and if it’s raining, you can get kind of streaks on people’s cars,” DaSilva said. “Because the water droplet is falling, and there’s some dirt in it.”

Are ‘dirty’ rain and Sahara dust harmful?

No! Unlike acid rain, which is rain that absorbs toxic pollutants released into the atmosphere by factories and manufacturers, “dirty” rain absorbs dust particles carried by the wind and is harmless, DaSilva said.

But while the drops “won’t kill you,” DaSilva does advise people not to drink the dirty rain.

If a high concentration of dust remains in the lower air layers, people with asthma and other lung diseases can suffer from it, Giarratana said.

Those who would be affected should stay aware of the air quality in their area. The National Weather Service or local government will issue an air quality warning if this happens.

However, because it usually stays so high in the atmosphere, it’s usually not a problem.

Sahara dust makes for more beautiful sunsets and sunrises

People can plan a sunset picnic at a time when the wind is bringing some dust to the area, provided the air quality is good.

The dust may make the horizon blurry, but it does create different colors and an even more beautiful sunset.

Does a layer of Sahara dust a day keep storms at bay?

According to DaSilva and Giarratana, dust from the Sahara also determines the number of storms that form in the tropics.

A warm, moist environment is crucial to creating a storm. But the dust acts like a silica packet that people receive in their package, sucking up all the moisture that is in the atmosphere.

“What happens with the dust is it cuts off the moisture,” DaSilva said. “It can basically suffocate these systems because, again, they want a lot of moisture, and when you take the moisture away, it makes it harder for thunderstorms to develop.”

Coincidentally, the dust is most likely to appear in June and July. Those are also the months when the hurricane season is at its quietest, with the exception of Hurricane Beryl, which formed in June and was the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, according to NOAA Climate.

This hurricane season is still expected to be extremely active, reports TC Palm, part of the USA TODAY Network. But the Sahara dust is giving us a little reprieve.

This is the perfect time to stock up on storm supplies or start collecting them if you haven’t already, DaSilva says.

Contributors: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida; Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered a variety of topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown of Miami to technology and pop culture. You can contact her at LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram And TikTok: @juliamariegz