# What's With the Haze?



## VannMyrum (Sep 25, 2014)

So we arrived yesterday and drove down through central Spain to Malaga. While my family and I enjoyed the varying landscapes and their beauty we noticed that the entire day there seemed to be a heavy haze over everything. It reminded me quite a bit of the sandstorms in the Sierra Nevadas in the U.S. Is it dust? (This was a very long debate between the OH and myself). 

Vann


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## WeeScottie (Mar 17, 2015)

It's definitely dust of the red Saharan variety....our balcony coated in it this morning....


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## WeeScottie (Mar 17, 2015)

Have a nosy on Tim Peake's Facebook page, he has a lovely shot of the dust cloud over Spain and Portugal as seen from the space station


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Just keep everything crossed that it doesn't rain..... red rain is nasty to clean up


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Here in Seville we did get a bit of rain the night before last. What a mess!!


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

SKIRON - Dust Forecast Mediterranean - Europe, North Atlantic

Here is a good link.

Makes for great sunrise and sunsets.


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

Rained here, too. Bleccccch.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

WeeScottie said:


> Have a nosy on Tim Peake's Facebook page, he has a lovely shot of the dust cloud over Spain and Portugal as seen from the space station


https://www.facebook.com/ESATimPeak...249199414870/1098633853509733/?type=3&theater

Jo xxx


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Here it is called a "Calima" being closer to the Sahara than Iberian Spain we often receive a coating of sand when the wind blows from the east.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

But what we have isn't sand which gives the haze a brownish hue, this is almost like white cloud. There is no dampness to it and there is no grittiness in one's mouth so it's not sand. Confused of Tunbridge Wells.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> But what we have isn't sand which gives the haze a brownish hue, this is almost like white cloud. There is no dampness to it and there is no grittiness in one's mouth so it's not sand. Confused of Tunbridge Wells.


Same here, and we have no coating of red dust over everything outside as we do when the cause is sand from the Sahara. Very strange.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Well there's something dirty up there. This is what my car looked like when I got up yesterday morning.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Terremoto en el mar de Alborán sacude el sur de España As well??

Jo xxx


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## pnwheels (Mar 3, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> But what we have isn't sand which gives the haze a brownish hue, this is almost like white cloud. There is no dampness to it and there is no grittiness in one's mouth so it's not sand. Confused of Tunbridge Wells.


 Are you sure your specs aren't misted up, Baldi???????:blabla:


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

pnwheels said:


> Are you sure your specs aren't misted up, Baldi???????:blabla:


Others see it as well. Often at this time of year visibility is partially obscured by smoke where they have started cutting back the olivos and need to burn the wood to prevent the spread of pests and diseases. Apart from that, I wear contact lenses not to correct eyesight but to counter the effect of scarring caused by the preservative in some medication.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Oh for some rain!!! :rain:

Not had any for about 4 months now :Cry:


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

We have had 11.8 mm since the new year.

Guess who got a weather station for Christmas. 

That said probably the last drop was Oct/Nov but it has been fairly humid when it's not windy and the amount of water that leaves is the most I have seen since being in Spain.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> Oh for some rain!!! :rain:
> 
> Not had any for about 4 months now :Cry:


We've had about 3 inches - turned the hillsides into a muddy slippery mire - fortunately most of the olives are in.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

I believe we missed a thunderstorm and very heavy rain whilst we were on holiday, and there have been a couple of brief showers since we got back on 3 February, plus one day of not very heavy rain last week.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

We are forecast to get about ¾ inch between now and the weekend with possibility of snow and thunder storms on Saturday


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

The haze has disappeared this morning, thank goodness, and it didn't rain nor has it been very windy, so what has made it disperse I do not know. Hope it has gone from other areas too.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> We are forecast to get about ¾ inch between now and the weekend with possibility of snow and thunder storms on Saturday


We had 25 degrees yesterday - looks like being the same today.

Still no forecast for rain.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

My dad's back garden is like a swamp and WSMs football team has played about one match since Christmas.
Meanwhile, in "my" Spanish town there's going to be a high of 7 degrees and a low of minus 4 this weekend


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> My dad's back garden is like a swamp and WSMs football team has played about one match since Christmas.
> Meanwhile, in "my" Spanish town there's going to be a high of 7 degrees and a low of minus 4 this weekend


About an inch of precipitation expected on Saturday (maybe as snow with a max of 4° and a min of -2° warming to 8°/-1° Monday


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

Pesky Wesky said:


> My dad's back garden is like a swamp and WSMs football team has played about one match since Christmas.
> Meanwhile, in "my" Spanish town there's going to be a high of 7 degrees and a low of minus 4 this weekend


A bit further up the mountain from you, my local forecast shows snow for the weekend, with a high of 1ºC for Saturday. Apparently we're expecting:

7-12cm on Friday
3-7cm on Saturday
3-7cm on Sunday

That'll deal with the haze!


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> About an inch of precipitation expected on Saturday (maybe as snow with a max of 4° and a min of -2° warming to 8°/-1° Monday


It might rain as well. :eyebrows:


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## VannMyrum (Sep 25, 2014)

Thanks, everyone! I agree that it gives absolutely spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Very happy that it doesn't leave sand in my hair like the sandstorms I've experienced.


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## Kikie (Nov 7, 2008)

VannMyrum said:


> So we arrived yesterday and drove down through central Spain to Malaga. While my family and I enjoyed the varying landscapes and their beauty we noticed that the entire day there seemed to be a heavy haze over everything. It reminded me quite a bit of the sandstorms in the Sierra Nevadas in the U.S. Is it dust? (This was a very long debate between the OH and myself).
> 
> Vann


Probably Saharan dust. Many animated systems online show the plumes coming across from the Sahara. Varies in concentration. At high levels it is very uncomfortable. https://eastofmalaga.net/2016/02/23/sandstorm-from-the-sahara-hits-spain/


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## Kikie (Nov 7, 2008)

*White sky = dust*



baldilocks said:


> But what we have isn't sand which gives the haze a brownish hue, this is almost like white cloud. There is no dampness to it and there is no grittiness in one's mouth so it's not sand. Confused of Tunbridge Wells.


This is what we are seeing in Greece. It is dust in the air. Still Saharan but the fine stuff. Are you just seeing it where you live? Do you know if it is as bad towards Valencia way?


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