For the first time this year, a large amount of Sahara dust was detected over Europe, and the particles could reach Central and Eastern Europe as early as the next few days, the EU's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said on Tuesday.
The impact of Saharan dust could affect human health and the energy sector, the statement added. Allergies, for example, could be exacerbated. The dust particles in the atmosphere could also affect the generation of solar energy.
According to Copernicus forecasts, the dust is from North Africa and has already arrived at the Iberian Peninsula and will head toward France.
"The typical impact is a red or orange sky, but there is also the potential of ground-level air quality impacts, especially in Portugal and Spain," said Copernicus lead scientist Mark Parrington.
The atmospheric monitoring service is one of several components of the Copernicus programme. Among other things, it provides data on the atmosphere, oceans, land, climate change, security and energy obtained from satellite images.
