DOnly clouds from the Sahara Desert in North Africa crossed the Mediterranean Sea and turned the Greek sky orange on Tuesday. Historic landmarks in the country’s capital, Athens, including the ancient citadel of the Acropolis, were covered in orange dust.
One image, taken from the famous Tourkovounia hills that bisect the city of Athens, shows a man in a face mask taking a photo of the Mars-like view of the city. A second man on a bicycle can be seen nearby.
Another image shows several people sitting on a cliff, having made the journey to the Tourkovounia hills by car and motorbike to glimpse the unusual view. You can see the city’s ancient architecture covered in an orange glow.
While the orange-covered scenes may look impressive, Saharan dust clouds pose health risks, especially for people with asthma or underlying health conditions. The CDC recommends Stay indoors as much as possible when it comes to Saharan dust, as exposure can increase the risk of respiratory disorders and cardiovascular events.
“It is one of the most serious episodes of Saharan dust and sand concentration since March 21 and 22, 2018, when clouds invaded the island of Crete in particular,” said Kostas Lagouvardos, director of meteorological research at the Athens Observatory. per The Guardian.
The winds that blew dust from the Sahara to Greece also appear to be causing an increase in forest fires. There was 25 forest fires reported by the country’s national first responders, the Hellenic Fire Department, on Tuesday. Skies are expected to improve later in the day Wednesday as winds blow away the dust.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
