In early spring 2026, a dry, dust-laden wind known as theharmattanswept across northwestern Africa. Cold temperatures, high winds, and blowing dust promptedofficials to issue an alertfor several regions of Morocco due to the low visibility and harsh conditions.
Satellites tracked the wall of dust over the course of the day on March 30 as it moved southwest from the Sahara Desert and toward the Atlantic Ocean. The left image, captured by NASA’s Terra satellite, shows the dust at about 10:00 Universal Time. The NOAA-21 satellite captured the right image about four hours later.
Meteosat-12, a satellite operated by the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, captured another view of the dust storm. The geostationary weather satellite showed thedust’s movementas it moved closer to the Canary Islands.
According to Spain’s state meteorological agency, the harmattan winds blow from the northeast between November and April, often producing dust storms as winds lift dust particles from the Sahara. During the March 30 event, AEMET notedthat conditions were right for aharmattan surge, which happens when winds get stronger near the ground with the passing of a cold front. That day, winds converged perpendicular to the High Atlas mountain range before shifting southwest.
Forecasts called for the Saharan dust toultimately engulf the Canary Islands, triggering what islanders know ascalima. The dust episode was expected to worsen air quality and visibility across the islands through April 1. Aseparate storm earlier in Marchalso sent dust toward the Canaries, along with another plume that dispersed widely across Europe.
Researchers using NASA data havepreviously reportedthat the most intense Saharan dust storms occur in the spring, when dust is typically lifted from the sand seas, or ergs, of central North Africa and areas along the Mediterranean coast. In the warmer months, another peak occurs in the central Sahara.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS and VIIRS data from NASAEOSDIS LANCE,GIBS/Worldview, and theJoint Polar Satellite System. Story by Kathryn Hansen.
JPEG
AEMET Divulga via These satellite images show a surge of harmattan, a dust storm generated by the harmattan wind from the region. Accessed March 31, 2026.
CIRA Satellite LibraryDaily loop from: Meteosat-12. Accessed March 31, 2026.
Fiedler, S. et al.The importance of Harmattan surges for the emission of North African dust aerosol.Geophysical Research Letters, 42, 9495-9504.
HESPRESSMorocco issues orange alert for cold weather, strong winds, and dust storms. Accessed March 31, 2026.
NASA Earth Observatory Dust Outbreak Reaches Europe. Accessed March 31, 2026.
Saleh, S.A. et al.A preliminary assessment of the spatial and temporal patterns of sand and dust storms over the Sahara.Scientific African, 28.
Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet.
Clouds of dust lofted from the Sahara Desert brought hazy skies and muddy rain to Western Europe.
An advancing cold front kicked up a sharp line of sand and other small particles that swept over the high…
Reed-covered mounds exposed by declining water levels reveal an unexpected network of freshwater springs that feed directly into the lake…
Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox.
NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery.
Explore Earth Science
Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data