Dust Storm in Agia Pelagia, Crete

August 24, 2005

Duststorm

Provided and copyright by: Walter Handy
Summary authors & editors: Walter Handy

The two pictures above, showing views before and during a fierce dust storm, was taken looking north-north-east across the village of Agia Pelagia, Greece, which is 17 KM west of the city of Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Both photos were taken at approximately the same time of day -- 4:00 p.m.(local time) on April 17, 2005. The upper picture is a 'normal' view taken in early spring, while the lower picture was taken during an especially nasty dust storm which blew in from the Libyan and Egyptian Deserts (northeastern Sahara Desert). Although wind-blown dust from Africa is not uncommon in spring, this particular dust storm was so thick that most of Greece was shrouded in a yellow haze. As a result, flights were cancelled or delayed and sea traffic was halted until the dust settled a day or two later.

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