HIBAPRESS-RABAT
Atmospheric dust can be carried by wind from traditional emitting areas to many parts of the world over hundreds or even thousands of kilometers.
The areas most affected by long-range transport are the northern tropical Atlantic Ocean between West Africa and the Caribbean, South America, the Mediterranean Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and east-central China.
Persistent heavy dust outbreaks, attributed to the Harmattan squalls, began in the fall of 2023 and recurred throughout the winter, degrading air quality and reducing visibility.
In December 2023, several high-intensity dust outbreaks affected a large region of the western Maghreb, the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea before spreading over the Atlantic.
