A yellow-orange haze smothered several regions after several days of strong winds from the south, limiting visibility and prompting warnings from the authorities of breathing risks.
"It's one of the most serious episodes of dust and sand concentrations from the Sahara since March 21-22, 2018, when the clouds invaded the island of Crete in particular," said Kostas Lagouvardos, weather research director at the Athens Observatory.
Greece had already been struck by Sahara dust clouds in late March and early April that also smothered parts of Switzerland and southern France.
Authorities warn that the dust concentrations can reduce sunlight and visibility while increasing concentrations of fine pollution particles, posing risks for people with underlying health problems.
The Sahara desert releases 60 to 200 million tonnes of mineral dust per year. While the largest particles come rapidly back down to earth, the smallest can travel thousands of kilometres, potentially reaching all of Europe.
The Greek weather service said the skies would begin to clear on Wednesday.
Sandstorm hits east Libya, disrupts air traffic: media
Benghazi, Libya (AFP) April 22, 2024 -
A powerful sandstorm blew across eastern Libya on Monday, disrupting air traffic and shutting down airports, public administration and schools in the region, Libyan media reported.
Traffic at airports in Benghazi and Tobruk was suspended until further notice, local media said, showing images of runways buried in sand.
"All flights to and from the Benina International Airport (in Benghazi) have been postponed due to poor visibility and poor weather conditions," Saleh al-Amrouni, the airport's manager, told al-Masar TV channel.
Authorities in the east announced as early as Sunday that Monday and Tuesday would be "public holidays" owing "to bad weather conditions", national press agency Lana News reported.
Among the areas where a state of alert has been declared is Derna, where more than 4,300 people died and over 8,000 disappeared last September when a gigantic flood swept through the city following the collapse of two dams.
Libya is still struggling to recover from years of war and instability after the 2011 overthrow of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
The hydrocarbon-rich country is divided between the UN-recognised Tripoli-based government in the west and a rival administration in the country's east.
Authorities have also called on law enforcement to limit road traffic and movement in areas where the sandstorm has caused poor visibility.
In Tobruk, Al Bayda and Ajdabiya people were reportedly forced to stay at home as the skies turned yellow.
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