Every Floridian knows that summer brings thunderstorms, tropical storms, and hurricanes almost every day. But this summer, dust from the Sahara Desert has joined the mix, bringing “dirty rain” to parts of Florida.
During late spring, summer, and early fall, a puff of dust from the Sahara Desert is picked up by the wind and forms a large cloud of dry, dusty air that enters the atmosphere about a mile at its lowest point.
This mass of dry, dusty air, known as the Saharan Air Layer (SAL), moves over the tropical North Atlantic every three to five days with increasing activity from mid-June to mid-August.
“During this peak period, individual SAL outbreaks often spread westward, reaching as far away as Florida, Central America, and even Texas, and covering large areas of the Atlantic Ocean (sometimes even covering the lower 48 states of the United States).” , says NOAA’s Saharan Air Layer Guide.
This layer of dust helps keep the tropics calm during hurricane season, but the dust can also mix with summer rain to form “dirty rain.”
Here's what dirty rain is and where to expect it in Florida this week.
What does Saharan dust mean for Florida?
“For Floridians, Saharan dust could help calm the development of Atlantic storms during the first half of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season,” the Pensacola Daily News reported on July 22.
“Any more good news? Temperatures should drop slightly over the next week or so.
However, while temperatures may be cooling, parts of Florida will also see “dirty rain” tomorrow.
A band of tropical showers and thunderstorms is expected to move northwest across the state by Tuesday. Rain can leave a muddy residue as Saharan desert dust lingers nearby.
Dust is not expected to deter hurricanes throughout the season.
Dr. Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger, told TCPalm that “favorable conditions for beryl production are likely to return sometime in August, which could lead to continued bursts of hurricane activity.”
“WeatherTiger’s real-time forecast is still about double the normal hurricane season storm activity.”
What is Dirty Rain?
Like Saharan dust, “dirty rain” is not toxic or dangerous, but it may irritate you if you have a pre-existing respiratory condition. “Dirty rain” is simply dust mixed with water, leaving a muddy residue on any exposed surface it falls on.
If you want to minimize the amount of mud or dust you breathe in, or have existing respiratory problems, simply avoid spending a lot of time outdoors or wear a mask when you're out for an extended period of time.
Will Pensacola be affected?Meteorologists say “dirty rain” will hit Florida this week.
Where does Florida's dirty rain come from?
The potential for dirty rain in Central and Southwest Florida this week is a combination of recent Saharan dust mixed with rain from a tropical low storm wave.
What's the rainfall forecast for Florida this week? Increased chance of rain
According to AccuWeather, much of the Southeast will see at least 2 to 4 inches of rain by the end of the week. This rainfall is associated with air currents from the Gulf of Mexico and southwest Atlantic over the Southeast.
Florida may not get some of the worst rain, but a tropical depression wave is increasing the chance of showers on Tuesday.
“As the tropical wave approaches and moves northwest across the state Sunday into Tuesday, there will be an increase in showers and thunderstorms, some of which may bring flooding,” Alex DaSilva said. Heavy rain, strong wind gusts, and even waterspouts near the beach.
The tropical wave is not expected to develop into a tropical depression or tropical storm.
Temperature and rainfall forecast for today, Monday 22nd July:
- pensacola: High 87. Isolated showers and storms will develop across much of the region by Monday afternoon. Localized small-scale flooding may occur,
- Tallahassee: High 93. Storms may start early again.
- jacksonville: High 85. Periods of heavy rainfall are possible. Not everyone gets rain. Heat warnings have been issued for parts of north and northeast Florida until 6 p.m. Heat index values of 108 to 110 are expected.
- Daytona Beach: Maximum 89 degrees. Some storms could be severe, especially those coming from north of Orlando. Wind gusts could reach around 50 mph, with localized rainfall amounts of 1-3 inches.
- Melbourne: Maximum 90 degrees. Today's disturbance will help produce scattered showers and storms. By sunset, persistent showers and storms are possible west of Orlando. Conditions will become drier overnight.
- Port St. Lucie: Maximum 90 degrees. A few showers and storms are still possible along the Treasure Coast overnight into the morning.
- West Palm Beach: Maximum 85 degrees. More than 2 inches of rain is expected this afternoon. Showers and storms are likely to affect the East Coast metro area starting early today and continuing into the early morning hours.
- Naples: Maximum 90 degrees. The most intense storms can produce gusty winds, frequent lightning and heavy downpours. Today, localized flooding can become a concern for areas that experience repeated heavy rainfall. The possibility of some waterspouts in local waters cannot be ruled out today.
- Fort Myers: Maximum 91 degrees. The main concerns are frequent lightning, locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds. Storms may develop over South Florida in the late afternoon and move northwest by evening.
- Sarasota: High 92. Lightning, locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds are all possible. The dust is expected to dissipate Monday into Tuesday. Multiple showers/storms are expected each day this week.
