Third-generation satellite images have captured what Morocco’s weather agency described as an “exceptional weather phenomenon” involving a dense cloud of Saharan dust sweeping across the country and out over the Atlantic Ocean toward southern Europe.
The images, taken Thursday at midday using the MTG True Color system, show a vast plume of sand and dust rising from the Sahara Desert and spreading over northern and central Morocco, according to Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology.
In a synoptic analysis, the agency attributed the phenomenon to a low-pressure system positioned off the Atlantic coast. Its cyclonic circulation acted as a “true atmospheric pump,” lifting fine desert particles into higher layers of the atmosphere and pushing them westward and northward.
The resulting dust veil, visible from space, extended across the Atlantic Ocean in the direction of southern Europe. Strong southern winds carried the particles over long distances, significantly reducing visibility and turning skies shades of orange in several regions.
At ground level, the effects included sharply reduced horizontal visibility, orange-tinged skies and the accumulation of fine dust on infrastructure.
On Thursday, residents in parts of the Souss-Massa region and Morocco’s southern provinces experienced powerful winds accompanied by sand and dust, hampering visibility and causing material damage.
Images circulating online showed uprooted argan and palm trees. The SRM Souss Massa regional utilities company reported multiple incidents involving damaged agricultural greenhouses and fallen trees on medium-voltage power lines.
The disruptions led to power outages in several areas, particularly in the province of Inzegan-Ait Melloul, prompting the mobilization of technical teams to carry out repairs.
The meteorological agency issued an orange-level weather alert warning of continued strong winds ranging between 75 and 85 kph (47 to 53 mph), accompanied by blowing dust or sandstorms, through 11 p.m. Friday. The alert covers the provinces of Tan-Tan, Assa-Zag, Boujdour, Laayoune, Tarfaya and Smara.
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