Sahara dust
Blood rain in Germany: What you should know about the natural phenomenon
Watch the video: Blood rain expected in Germany: What you should know about the natural phenomenon
The temperatures are rising, but with the warm air comes Sahara dust – and with it a phenomenon that is colloquially known as blood rain.
The fine desert sand is blown up in the Sahara and transported to Germany by the warm winds. Things are supposed to really get going in this country on Tuesday, April 30th, when the air will turn milky and yellowish to orange. The more dust there is in the air, the darker the sunlight will be and the yellower the sky will appear. In parts of Germany, precipitation is expected, which will ensure that the fine sand is washed out of the air, so in rainy areas people have to be prepared for dirty cars and car windows.
Sahara dust does not pose an immediate health risk to humans.
However, for people with allergies or asthma, symptoms can increase due to the increased concentration of dust in the air.
Since Sahara dust is particularly common in this country during pollen season, hay fever, mild coughs and irritated respiratory tracts can occur more frequently.
The natural phenomenon of blood rain caused by Saharan dust can currently be observed in Germany. How the special rain occurs and what you can expect.
Outdoor swimming pool, ice cream, a walk: the holiday invites you to go outside and will be mostly sunny across the country. “Cloudier in the west, but even there there is only a low risk of individual showers and thunderstorms forming” – this is how meteorologist Sabine Krüger from the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach summarized it. Temperatures climb to a summery 24 to 29 degrees.
However, the temperatures are no surprise: “It’s not unusual that it gets warm at the beginning of May,” said Krüger to the German Press Agency. The record value since recording began on May 1st is 31.1 degrees and was measured in 2005 in Rheinau-Memprechtshofen in Baden-Württemberg. “The expected maximum values on May Day tomorrow are therefore in the upper range of possibilities with the expected maximums of 27 to 29 degrees,” said Krüger. However, Saharan dust clouds the sky in some places – putting a damper on temperatures.
Sahara dust clouds the sky – highs of 29 degrees
“In the second half of the week from Thursday it will be more changeable overall, even if the extreme north and northeast will probably be spared for a relatively long time,” explained Krüger. The maximum temperatures in the west and southwest on Thursday will be 16 to 23 degrees, depending on the sun, otherwise 24 to 29 degrees. Rain will occur more frequently on Friday night, sometimes it will be thundery with temperatures ranging from 14 to 8 degrees.
On Friday, the DWD expects mostly clear weather in the north and northeast with highs between 22 and 26 degrees, a little cooler on the coasts. In the rest of the country it will be different: partly cloudy and, especially over the northern center, areas of rain or partly heavy showers and thunderstorms. Depending on the sun, temperatures range between 15 and 22 degrees, with the lowest values in the southwest. “Even on the weekend it remains mostly changeable with maximum temperatures usually between 15 and 20 degrees.”