Dust that has traveled more than 5,000 miles across the Atlantic will soon be coating parts of the east coast of the U.S.
The massive cloud of dust is about the size of the continental United States and came from the Sahara Desert in North Africa, The New York Times reported. It was about 2,000 miles wide and 750 miles tall, and it is the largest to hit the U.S. this year, USA Today reported.
It started its trek about a week ago.
The National Weather Service office in Puerto Rico has already warned people that they may experience poor air quality, going so far as to advise those who have breathing issues to wear a mask. It was already hazy in the islands on Sunday night.
The Associated Press reported that the cloud caused sneezing, coughing and watery eyes for people living in the Caribbean.
Some of the cloud may break up before it covers the Gulf Coast states, but it will still block some sunlight in areas that normally are bathed in the rays.
“Typically, we have nice blue skies, but with the dust, the whole sky looks soft and warm because the particles themselves are red,” Professor Emeritus Joseph Prospero, from the University of Miami Center for Aerosol Science and Technology, told the Times. “Everything looks muted.”
But hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said sunsets may be more colorful because the dust may enhance them, USA Today reported.
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