Will the French have to wash their cars again? According to Météo-France forecasts, a new cloud of sand from the Sahara is heading towards France. The sand dust from the Sahara and the yellow sky, which had already crossed France in March, will first affect the south-west of the country on Monday, before spreading to the north and east of the territory on Tuesday.
“A depression off the Atlantic associated with a thalweg induces winds from the South sector bringing back desert dust emitted from the north of the Maghreb”, writes Météo-France on Twitter, which estimates that a first cloud with “fairly high concentrations weak” will cover the south-west of France by the Pyrenees on Monday. It will then affect a large part of the country.
From Occitania to Hauts-de-France
“The concentrations will gradually increase on April 12 (Tuesday) and the cloud of dust will concern all of France, in particular on a north-south strip going from Occitania to Normandy and Hauts-de-France”, specifies Météo- France in a tweet. According to BFMTV meteorologist Guillaume Séchet, sand concentrations will be “notable but not as high as in mid-March”.
This meteorological episode caused by the formation of a sirocco – a hot wind that carries sand and yellows the sky – is the third of its kind in a few weeks. In mid-March, a cloud of sand had crossed France for several days, which forced many motorists to go to a car wash to wash their cars. Another cloud of much lower intensity had hit France on March 27.