These clouds of Saharan dust can be deadly for anyone suffering from asthma, heart or lung disease but scientists believe they also dampen the formation of hurricanes

An enormous cloud of dust from the Sahara is floating westward over the Atlantic Ocean, heading straight for Florida. The densest part of the African dust plume has already reache

▪ Saharan dust is an extremely dry, dusty air mass, containing about 50% less moisture than the typical tropical atmosphere, the National Hurricane Center notes. “This extremely dry air can weaken a tropical cyclone or tropical disturbance by promoting downdrafts around the storm.”