Published on 6 October 2022
A massive and unseasonal Saharan dust storm is ongoing in the Atlantic Ocean.
The dust has deteriorated the air quality in the Iberian Peninsula and, as shown in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image acquired on 3 October 2022, the dust cloud is engulfing the skies of Gran Canaria, La Gomera and Tenerife in the Canary islands.
The forecasting of these events is important because the suspended dust causes air quality to worsen significantly. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) provides forecasts to help policymakers, citizens and other stakeholders plan to mitigate the negative effects of dust storms and has closely monitored the latest dust storm episodes.
The Copernicus Image of the Day website has tons of commented images like this one.