March of the Harmattan: Saharan dust sweeps across northwestern Africa

On March 30, 2026, satellites tracked a Saharan dust plume driven by harmattan winds moving southwest from the Sahara toward the Atlantic, and forecasts said the dust would reach the Canary Islands and reduce visibility through April 1.

Satellites recorded a large Saharan dust plume on March 30, 2026, driven by the dry harmattan winds that blow from the northeast between November and April. Cold temperatures, high winds, and blowing dust prompted officials to issue alerts for several regions of Morocco because of low visibility and harsh conditions. NASA's Terra satellite (MODIS) captured the plume at about 10:00 UTC (11 a.m. local Morocco) and NOAA-21 (VIIRS) captured it roughly four hours later. EUMETSAT's Meteosat-12 geostationary imagery showed the dust moving closer to the Canary Islands. Key observations: - NASA Terra (MODIS) and NOAA-21 (VIIRS) imagery on March 30 showed a broad wall of dust moving southwest from the Sahara toward the Atlantic. - Meteosat-12 geostationary images tracked the plume as it approached the Canary Islands. - Spain’s AEMET reported conditions consistent with a harmattan surge, with winds strengthening near the ground as a cold front passed and winds converging perpendicular to the High Atlas before shifting southwest. - Forecasts indicated the dust would engulf the Canary Islands, producing calima and worsening air quality and visibility through April 1. - Researchers using NASA data have previously noted that the strongest Saharan dust storms commonly occur in spring when dust is lifted from central North African ergs and coastal areas along the Mediterranean. Summary: The satellite-observed event produced a wide plume crossing northwestern Africa and was reported to affect visibility and air quality in the Canary Islands through April 1. Officials in parts of Morocco issued alerts for reduced visibility and difficult conditions. Undetermined at this time.