African dust clouds to settle over Greece until Friday

Large parts of Greece have been shrouded in haze as persistent southerly winds have carried waves of dust from the African continent across the Mediterranean.

The average 24-h PM10 concentration in Athens (picture) on Monday was above 50 micrograms per cubic meter. According to EU air quality directives, annual mean PM10 concentrations may not exceed 40 µg/m³ and the daily mean PM10 concentration may only exceed 50 µg/m³ on maximally 35 days per year.

Meteorologists said the dust clouds, which have reduced visibility in parts of the country, will linger for two more days.