A mass of air laden with dust from the deserts of northern Africa is crossing Portugal and causing a deterioration in air quality across much of the Portuguese mainland. The Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) forecasts the presence of suspended particles on this Friday and on Saturday, prolonging a situation that had already been observed on Thursday. The most affected regions are the Center and South of the country.
Given the elevated concentration of suspended particles, the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) has recommended that children, elderly people, and those with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases stay indoors whenever possible. The arrival of the air mass is expected to cause a situation of "poor air quality," according to Portuguese authorities, due to the increased concentration of inhalable particles of natural origin. The phenomenon is expected to persist until Saturday.
