English: Thick bands of dust blew across the Mediterranean Sea in mid-May 2017.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a true-color image of the swirling dust on the afternoon of May 13. At that time, dust was blowing from Libya and Egypt to the northeast, first covering the blue waters of the Mediterranean, then Cyprus, and finally reaching Turkey. The dust originated in the Sahara Desert and was lofted by strong winds blowing over the region.

The storm had been active for several days, with air quality exceeding healthy levels on May 10. According to Cyprus Weekly’s online edition (incyprus), measurements at noon on that date placed the level of PM10 particulate matter between 50 and 72 micrograms per cubic meter of air. The permitted maximum 24-hour average considered safe is 50 µg/m3. PM10 means that the particles are 10 micrometers or smaller, and present a risk to inhalation. Government warnings advised vulnerable members of the population – children, elderly, and convalescing – were advised to stay indoors.