nuage-sable-sahara-paris

The Parisian sky is going to turn orange because of a cloud of Sahara sand

undefined undefined 5 avril 2024 undefined 11h53

The Editor

© Fabien Maurin / Unsplash

¡Han vuelto! Este fin de semana, partículas de arena del Sáhara cubrirán toda Francia. Como resultado, el cielo se volverá naranja, un fenómeno lejos de ser desconocido en París.

After a rather gloomy and sad month of March, the beginning of April is already looking much more cheerful. This weekend is expected to bring an exceptional heat wave, with temperatures reaching up to 29°C on Saturday. However, despite the rising temperatures, the sky might not be as clear as we would hope. Why, you ask? Well, a cloud of sand from the Sahara Desert, carried by warm air from the south, is set to blanket the entire France during the weekend of April 5th and 7th, painting the Parisian sky a beautiful (or perhaps slightly alarming) shade of orange. **A Familiar Sight in Paris** This phenomenon, now quite familiar to Parisians, is expected to impact much of the country until Monday. Along with the orange sky, there will also be gusts of wind reaching up to 70 km/h and deteriorating air quality. Get ready to see Montpellier through a sepia filter for three whole days! We recommend against washing your car or leaving any windows open at home - you might be in for an unpleasant surprise, as these images from a sandstorm in March 2023 show. Check them out here.


Radioactive sand?

This same phenomenon has occurred several times in recent years. The sky was then adorned with orange colors but still raised some concerns. These sand particles contain cesium 137, a radioactive and obviously harmful element. But according to IRSN (Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety), the quantities are negligible and do not pose a real danger to health. It is still advised not to engage in too intense outdoor physical activities and to wear a mask if you have respiratory problems.