The event, known locally as “la calima,” turned skies orange and degraded air quality in Gran Canaria and neighboring islands.
In mid-January 2022, dust from northwest Africa washed over the Canary Islands, causing skies to turn orange, visibility to drop, and air quality to decline. Such events, known to islanders as “la calima,” generally happen around this time of year as strong seasonal winds carry sand and dust away from the Sahara.
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NOAA-20 satellite acquired an image (above) around 1:45 p.m. local time on January 14. At the time, Spain’s meteorological agency (AEMET) had issued a warning to the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura for high winds and suspended dust. Later that evening, the warning was extended to Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
With the arrival of the dust, visibility dropped to 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) at the airport on Gran Canaria and 1.8 kilometers (1.2 miles) on Fuerteventura and Tenerife South, according to local news reports. The Ministry of Heath advised people, especially those with respiratory issues, to stay inside with doors and windows closed. Wind gusts reached 70 kilometers (40 miles) per hour.
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Image via NASA Earth Observatory
