Who said Israel had enough problems?
Tuesday night, the wind was howling so ferociously, we
decided to close all the shutters in the apartment, clamming ourselves in like
oysters. Still it whistled and clamored, finding cracks to enter and buffeting
the curtains.
decided to close all the shutters in the apartment, clamming ourselves in like
oysters. Still it whistled and clamored, finding cracks to enter and buffeting
the curtains.
Looking at my iphone, I saw the strangest four-letter word
forecast. There were no delicate snowflakes, dewy raindrops or beaming suns on
the screen. Just a visual fog and the words DUST.
forecast. There were no delicate snowflakes, dewy raindrops or beaming suns on
the screen. Just a visual fog and the words DUST.
Dust is ‘weather’?
The next morning, I woke up to a yellowish sky and could
barely see the next block of buildings.
The wind was still angry, trying to dislodge a pergola from our roof
like an impatient dentist yanking at a tooth.
barely see the next block of buildings.
The wind was still angry, trying to dislodge a pergola from our roof
like an impatient dentist yanking at a tooth.
As I ventured outside to walk my dog, the world was eerily
silent. I passed a woman walking two huskies, moving very briskly. She was
wearing a surgical facemask and looked less friendly than her growling
canines. The cars on the road were
covered in a fine reddish dust. Every single leaf on every plant was coated in
a dusty film.
silent. I passed a woman walking two huskies, moving very briskly. She was
wearing a surgical facemask and looked less friendly than her growling
canines. The cars on the road were
covered in a fine reddish dust. Every single leaf on every plant was coated in
a dusty film.
.JPG) |
| Soldiers on duty in dusty conditions. |
I had grit in my teeth and felt as if I were breathing in
powder.
powder.
What was this?
I came back to the apartment and looked around closely.
While we were sleeping, the insolent wind had brought in buckets of dust and
had scattered it all over the apartment like a delinquent Jack Frost. It was
even inside the washing machine drum.
While we were sleeping, the insolent wind had brought in buckets of dust and
had scattered it all over the apartment like a delinquent Jack Frost. It was
even inside the washing machine drum.
.JPG) |
| Washing machine |
What was this?
According to NASA, a cyclone in the Atlas Mountains cooked
up a massive sand storm, covering the Middle East in a powdery film of grit. I
looked at my geography book and located the Atlas Mountains in southwestern
Morocco. Just south of the range is the huge Sahara Desert.
up a massive sand storm, covering the Middle East in a powdery film of grit. I
looked at my geography book and located the Atlas Mountains in southwestern
Morocco. Just south of the range is the huge Sahara Desert.
.JPG) |
| My dining room table. |
From the sub Sahara to my living room; that is one far
journey. How did it do that?
journey. How did it do that?
I then learned that a deep depression had formed over the
eastern Mediterranean, creating a superhighway for Saharan dust to travel to my
living room. A sort of one-way, non-stop flight.
eastern Mediterranean, creating a superhighway for Saharan dust to travel to my
living room. A sort of one-way, non-stop flight.
.JPG) |
| Thanks Sahara. Guess who has to clean this mess? |
The combination of howling winds and dust created many
problems outside of my dusty apartment. The measure of PM (particles with a
diameter of 10 microns) was forty times the regular readings. This was
dangerous weather for those with asthma, heart conditions and allergies. The young and the elderly were urged to stay
indoors.
problems outside of my dusty apartment. The measure of PM (particles with a
diameter of 10 microns) was forty times the regular readings. This was
dangerous weather for those with asthma, heart conditions and allergies. The young and the elderly were urged to stay
indoors.
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Dust? It is serious weather. When I next see this
four-letter forecast on my iphone, I will cover my apartment with bed sheets, stock up on Pledge wood cleaner and lay low.
four-letter forecast on my iphone, I will cover my apartment with bed sheets, stock up on Pledge wood cleaner and lay low.
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