A wide-reaching Sahara dust plume is sweeping across the Caribbean and expected to impact parts of the southern US this week. Here’s how it could affect health, skies, and hurricane season.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A massive cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert blanketed most of the Caribbean on Monday in the biggest event of its kind this year as it heads toward the United States.

Cars drive along a highway as a cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert blankets most of the Caribbean, in Cataño, Puerto Rico, Monday, June 2, 2025. Alejandro Granadillo / AP ...

The Sahara spans over 3.5 million square miles across North Africa and is a large source for mineral dust that gets picked up by winds across the desert. Sometimes, this dust can actually reach us ...

A significant weather event is unfolding this week as a massive cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert is heading toward the southeastern United States. This annual occurrence, part of the ...

Dust from the Sahara Desert, once a massive lake, travels across the Atlantic Ocean. This dust, rich in potassium and iron from dead diatoms, fertilizes the Amazon rainforest.