International

The island of Crete is dyed orange, flooded with Saharan dust

A mass of dust coming from North Africa reduces visibility, alters transport and forces the activation of health warnings on the Greek island

Unverified translation

A man protects himself with a mask while walking through a haze caused by Sahara dust, carried by strong southerly winds, in Heraklion, on the island of Crete, on April 1, 2026. — A man protects himself with a mask while walking through the haze caused by Sahara dust, carried by strong southern winds, in Heraklion, on the island of Crete, on April 1, 2026. Stefanos Rapanis/ REUTERS

International

Xavier Bertral

02/04/2026

6 images

BarcelonaCrete is experiencing these days under an orange-tinted sky due to the arrival of a mass of Saharan dust driven by the wind. The phenomenon has drastically reduced visibility and altered normality throughout the island. The impact is most noticeable in air transport, with affected operations and diverted flights due to the difficulty of operating safely. Isolated incidents have also been recorded in other services.

The air quality has worsened to dangerous levels, forcing the activation of health warnings and recommending caution to the population. The strong winds have aggravated the situation, as they have spread the dust and caused material damage to some infrastructures. The result of the episode is an unusual image of the island, with a dense atmosphere of reddish tones that have completely transformed the landscape in a few hours.