BRADES – Everyone seems to be complaining about the unusual heat and the lack of rain on island but take heart that it’s not the volcano and not just Montserrat, but all across the region.
According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Report out of Puerto Rico the unusual haze and heat is caused by dust and sand all the way from the deserts of North Africa.
“Satellite imagery showed an extensive area of Saharan dust spread across the region today,” says the report. “This Saharan air layer is expected to continue across the region for another a day or so then gradually diminish by Friday and into the weekend.
“As a result the hot, dry and hazy weather conditions will persist for the next few days. Some relief in these somewhat abnormal conditions are still expected by late Sunday into early next week.”
In addition, the presence of the Saharan dust will continue to enhance drying conditions and smother any convective development resulting in little or no rain for the next couple of days. This will continue the above normal temperatures until the weekend, the report says.
The good news about the dust is that it does reduce the likelihood of storms developing and is said to have benefits for the soil.
Anyone experiencing increased respiratory issues should visit the doctor for assistance.
