Live · Dust · Germany & worldwide
The dust map shows atmospheric dust and aerosols worldwide – relevant for Saharan dust transport to Europe, wildfires, industrial emissions and reduced visibility.
Several times a year southerly wind transports fine desert dust from the Sahara to Central Europe. The sun looks milky, cars and windows get dusty, sensitive people react with respiratory symptoms.
On the dust map you see the spatial extent of such events. Wind direction and strength from the wind radar often explain the spread.
Stronger colors mark denser dust and aerosol clouds. Watch the trend over hours, not just a single moment.
Dust follows the wind. With the wind radar you see whether Saharan dust or smoke is heading toward your region.
Play back the last hours: Is a dust plume building, passing through or lingering over Central Europe?
Besides Saharan dust, wildfire smoke, agricultural soil erosion and industrial emissions show up. In summer and autumn fire events in southern or eastern Europe often appear on the map as narrow plumes.
The display is model-based and large-scale – it does not replace official fine dust measurements on site, but helps explain milky sky and long-range transport.
High dust concentrations reduce visibility, tint the sky and can worsen symptoms in asthmatics or allergy sufferers. Shorten outdoor sport during dense Saharan dust events.
After passage it pays to check the rain radar: rain often washes particles from the air – load then usually drops noticeably.
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