In Florida Skies This Week: Saharan Dust

Residents of South Florida this week might find the sky a little hazier and the temperature a little higher, and they can thank the African Sahara. As the Miami Herald explains, desert dust will be making an appearance, a regular summer event. The dust particles travel across the ocean on trade winds and set up camp 5,000 feet or so above ground. It's generally no big deal, but those with extreme sensitivity to air particles might want to limit their time outdoors.

“It’s going to be noticeably hotter and more uncomfortable,” says one meteorologist. "There won’t be a big difference in humidity but with the higher temperatures it will give us a higher heat index.” (More Africa stories.)