The Greek island of Crete has been engulfed by a suffocating Saharan dust storm as strong winds and tornadoes swept through the region, forcing flights from the UK to divert on Easter and painting the sky an eerie red-orange color, UNN reports with reference to the Daily Mail.
Details
Transport chaos unfolded as thick African dust reduced visibility, grounding planes and disrupting arrivals at the main Heraklion airport.
At least two flights were forced to divert after visibility dropped to approximately 1000 meters, considered unsafe for landing.
A British Airways flight from London was rerouted to Corfu, while a SKY Express flight from Brussels was sent to Athens.
Air travel across the island remains under pressure as the dense dust cloud continues to hang over Crete, causing delays and disruptions.
Dramatic scenes were also reported on the ground, where a powerful tornado overturned a truck in the coastal area of Pachia Ammos, which was preparing to load agricultural exports.
The bad weather also uprooted trees, damaged greenhouses, and caused part of a wall to collapse at a ceramic factory.
In Ierapetra, huge waves crashed into the first houses along the old town as strong southerly winds exacerbated dangerous coastal conditions.
The air became suffocating, with extremely high concentrations of dust particles, creating hazardous conditions, especially for vulnerable residents.
Addendum
According to regional monitoring stations, air quality indicators have fallen to the "very poor" category, with particulate pollution significantly exceeding safe limits.
Meteorologists say dust levels have risen to over 1000 micrograms per cubic meter, which is an extremely high concentration.
However, forecasters warn that another wave of Saharan dust could hit the island as early as Thursday.
Authorities have urged residents and tourists to avoid unnecessary travel, stay indoors if possible, and exercise caution on the roads as extreme weather conditions continue to grip the island.