SeasonMap

Dust season, month by month around the world

Spring dust and sandstorms; sensitive lungs stay in.

This is a warning page, not a recommendation. Dust season covers 64 destinations on SeasonMap; the months below are the ones in which the risk window is open — most weeks in them pass quietly, and the score beside each place is still the ordinary climate score, hazard and all.

← All seasons · The world's calendar

When it is on

Number of destinations with dust season on in that month. Windows move a little each year.

Dust season in January

  1. 🇪🇸 Las Palmas, SpainCalima · 15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)Saharan dust rides in on an easterly several times a year, most often in late winter, dropping visibility and pushing the temperature up sharply for a day or two.92climate
  2. 🇪🇸 Lanzarote, SpainCalima · 15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)Saharan dust crosses on an easterly a few times each winter and spring, hazing the volcanoes out and occasionally closing the airport.91climate
  3. 🇸🇳 Dakar, SenegalSaharan dust season · 1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually)Dust off the Sahara crosses the Cap-Vert peninsula through the cool months and drops the visibility to a few kilometres for days at a time.89climate
  4. 🇪🇸 Fuerteventura, SpainCalima · 15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)Saharan dust blows across from Africa a few times each winter and spring, dropping visibility to a few hundred metres and occasionally grounding flights.89climate
  5. 🇲🇷 Nouakchott, MauritaniaSand and dust season · 25 Nov – 15 Apr (usually)The harmattan carries Saharan sand straight over the city and the dunes keep working their way into the eastern quarters.88climate
  6. 🇨🇻 Boa Vista, Cabo VerdeBruma seca · 1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)The Saharan haze Cape Verdeans call bruma seca hits the eastern islands hardest, and Boa Vista sits closest to the African coast.87climate
  7. 🇨🇻 Praia, Cabo VerdeBruma seca dust haze · 15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)Saharan dust crosses the archipelago in the cool months and turns the sky milky for days at a time.86climate
  8. 🇳🇪 Niamey, NigerHarmattan · 25 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)The coolest and driest weeks of the year, and the dustiest: a north-easterly off the Sahara, cold enough for a jacket at dawn, and a haze that never fully lifts.86climate
  9. 🇹🇩 N'Djamena, ChadHarmattan · 25 Nov – 10 Mar (usually)Sahelian dust on a north-easterly, cold mornings and a sky the colour of weak tea.86climate
  10. 🇨🇻 Sal, Cabo VerdeBruma seca · 1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)Saharan haze reaches the eastern islands in the cool months and can grey out a week of otherwise faultless weather.86climate
  11. 🇸🇳 Saint-Louis, SenegalSaharan dust · 1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually)Dust off the desert crosses the river mouth through the cool months and drops the visibility for days at a time.85climate
  12. 🇲🇱 Bamako, MaliHarmattan · 25 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)The Saharan wind arrives from the north-east in late November and stays until spring: dry air, a sky that never quite clears, and red dust over everything in the unpaved quarters.84climate
  13. 🇧🇫 Ouagadougou, Burkina FasoHarmattan · 15 Nov – 20 Feb (usually)The full Sahelian version: a permanent film of dust, a sun you can look straight at, and mornings cold enough for a coat.83climate
  14. 🇳🇬 Abuja, NigeriaHarmattan · 1 Dec – 20 Feb (usually)Saharan dust reaches the middle belt properly: a flat white sky, dust on every surface, and mornings cold enough for a jacket.80climate
  15. 🇸🇱 Freetown, Sierra LeoneHarmattan haze · 1 Dec – 20 Feb (usually)Saharan dust reaches this far down the coast through the driest weeks and takes the view of the hills with it.78climate
  16. 🇬🇲 Banjul, GambiaHarmattan haze · 1 Dec – 1 Mar (usually)Saharan dust drifts down the coast through the cool months and flattens the light for days at a time.78climate
  17. 🇬🇳 Conakry, GuineaHarmattan and the dry months · 1 Dec – 15 Apr (usually)The harmattan takes over in December and the rain effectively stops.76climate
  18. 🇬🇭 Kumasi, GhanaHarmattan · 1 Dec – 15 Feb (usually)Inland Ashanti gets the harmattan properly, not the coastal version: cold mornings, cracked skin, a red haze over the city and dust through every open window on the road to Accra.75climate
  19. 🇱🇷 Monrovia, LiberiaHarmattan haze · 10 Dec – 10 Feb (usually)A weak version of the Sahelian harmattan reaches the coast for a few weeks: hazy horizons, cooler nights and dry air, which after six months of rain is a relief more than a nuisance.72climate
  20. 🇬🇭 Cape Coast, GhanaHarmattan haze · 1 Dec – 15 Feb (usually)The coast gets a diluted version of the northern harmattan: a milky sky, dry skin and dust on the castle whitewash.71climate
  21. 🇧🇯 Cotonou, BeninHarmattan haze · 5 Dec – 10 Feb (usually)The coast gets a thinned-down version of the northern harmattan: a flat white sky, dry air off the Sahara and dust on everything left out on the balcony.70climate
  22. 🇹🇬 Lomé, TogoHarmattan haze · 5 Dec – 15 Feb (usually)The coastal version of the Saharan wind: white sky, dry air, dust settling on the beach bars and the border traffic at Aflao.69climate
  23. 🇬🇭 Accra, GhanaHarmattan haze · 5 Dec – 10 Feb (usually)The coast gets a diluted version of the northern harmattan: hazy horizons, dry skin, and a fine dust on everything left outside.68climate
  24. 🇨🇮 Abidjan, Côte d'IvoireHarmattan haze · 10 Dec – 15 Feb (usually)Abidjan sits at the far southern edge of the harmattan.68climate

What's on around the world in January →

Dust season in February

  1. 🇪🇸 Las Palmas, SpainCalima · 15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)Saharan dust rides in on an easterly several times a year, most often in late winter, dropping visibility and pushing the temperature up sharply for a day or two.92climate
  2. 🇸🇳 Dakar, SenegalSaharan dust season · 1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually)Dust off the Sahara crosses the Cap-Vert peninsula through the cool months and drops the visibility to a few kilometres for days at a time.91climate
  3. 🇪🇸 Lanzarote, SpainCalima · 15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)Saharan dust crosses on an easterly a few times each winter and spring, hazing the volcanoes out and occasionally closing the airport.91climate
  4. 🇪🇸 Fuerteventura, SpainCalima · 15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)Saharan dust blows across from Africa a few times each winter and spring, dropping visibility to a few hundred metres and occasionally grounding flights.89climate
  5. 🇨🇻 Praia, Cabo VerdeBruma seca dust haze · 15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)Saharan dust crosses the archipelago in the cool months and turns the sky milky for days at a time.88climate
  6. 🇨🇻 Sal, Cabo VerdeBruma seca · 1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)Saharan haze reaches the eastern islands in the cool months and can grey out a week of otherwise faultless weather.88climate
  7. 🇨🇻 Boa Vista, Cabo VerdeBruma seca · 1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)The Saharan haze Cape Verdeans call bruma seca hits the eastern islands hardest, and Boa Vista sits closest to the African coast.88climate
  8. 🇲🇷 Nouakchott, MauritaniaSand and dust season · 25 Nov – 15 Apr (usually)The harmattan carries Saharan sand straight over the city and the dunes keep working their way into the eastern quarters.85climate
  9. 🇸🇳 Saint-Louis, SenegalSaharan dust · 1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually)Dust off the desert crosses the river mouth through the cool months and drops the visibility for days at a time.83climate
  10. 🇸🇱 Freetown, Sierra LeoneHarmattan haze · 1 Dec – 20 Feb (usually)Saharan dust reaches this far down the coast through the driest weeks and takes the view of the hills with it.77climate
  11. 🇹🇩 N'Djamena, ChadHarmattan · 25 Nov – 10 Mar (usually)Sahelian dust on a north-easterly, cold mornings and a sky the colour of weak tea.75climate
  12. 🇳🇪 Niamey, NigerHarmattan · 25 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)The coolest and driest weeks of the year, and the dustiest: a north-easterly off the Sahara, cold enough for a jacket at dawn, and a haze that never fully lifts.73climate
  13. 🇬🇳 Conakry, GuineaHarmattan and the dry months · 1 Dec – 15 Apr (usually)The harmattan takes over in December and the rain effectively stops.72climate
  14. 🇳🇬 Abuja, NigeriaHarmattan · 1 Dec – 20 Feb (usually)Saharan dust reaches the middle belt properly: a flat white sky, dust on every surface, and mornings cold enough for a jacket.70climate
  15. 🇲🇱 Bamako, MaliHarmattan · 25 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)The Saharan wind arrives from the north-east in late November and stays until spring: dry air, a sky that never quite clears, and red dust over everything in the unpaved quarters.69climate
  16. 🇬🇲 Banjul, GambiaHarmattan haze · 1 Dec – 1 Mar (usually)Saharan dust drifts down the coast through the cool months and flattens the light for days at a time.69climate
  17. 🇱🇷 Monrovia, LiberiaHarmattan haze · 10 Dec – 10 Feb (usually)A weak version of the Sahelian harmattan reaches the coast for a few weeks: hazy horizons, cooler nights and dry air, which after six months of rain is a relief more than a nuisance.68climate
  18. 🇬🇭 Kumasi, GhanaHarmattan · 1 Dec – 15 Feb (usually)Inland Ashanti gets the harmattan properly, not the coastal version: cold mornings, cracked skin, a red haze over the city and dust through every open window on the road to Accra.68climate
  19. 🇬🇭 Cape Coast, GhanaHarmattan haze · 1 Dec – 15 Feb (usually)The coast gets a diluted version of the northern harmattan: a milky sky, dry skin and dust on the castle whitewash.68climate
  20. 🇧🇫 Ouagadougou, Burkina FasoHarmattan · 15 Nov – 20 Feb (usually)The full Sahelian version: a permanent film of dust, a sun you can look straight at, and mornings cold enough for a coat.67climate
  21. 🇬🇭 Accra, GhanaHarmattan haze · 5 Dec – 10 Feb (usually)The coast gets a diluted version of the northern harmattan: hazy horizons, dry skin, and a fine dust on everything left outside.66climate
  22. 🇹🇬 Lomé, TogoHarmattan haze · 5 Dec – 15 Feb (usually)The coastal version of the Saharan wind: white sky, dry air, dust settling on the beach bars and the border traffic at Aflao.66climate
  23. 🇧🇯 Cotonou, BeninHarmattan haze · 5 Dec – 10 Feb (usually)The coast gets a thinned-down version of the northern harmattan: a flat white sky, dry air off the Sahara and dust on everything left out on the balcony.66climate
  24. 🇨🇮 Abidjan, Côte d'IvoireHarmattan haze · 10 Dec – 15 Feb (usually)Abidjan sits at the far southern edge of the harmattan.64climate
  25. 🇪🇸 Sierra Nevada, SpainCalima on the snow · 15 Feb – 15 Jun (usually)Saharan dust blows north over Andalusia most often in spring, turning the sky orange and leaving the pistes pink.58climate

What's on around the world in February →

Dust season in March

  1. 🇪🇬 Cairo, EgyptKhamaseen dust winds · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot southerly winds carry Saharan dust over the city for a day or two at a time, closing the horizon and grounding the view from the Giza plateau.95climate
  2. 🇪🇸 Lanzarote, SpainCalima · 15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)Saharan dust crosses on an easterly a few times each winter and spring, hazing the volcanoes out and occasionally closing the airport.95climate
  3. 🇯🇴 Dead Sea, JordanKhamsin dust winds · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot southerlies off the desert push dust up the rift for a few days at a time in spring, dropping the visibility across the water to nothing and coating everything left outside.94climate
  4. 🇪🇸 Las Palmas, SpainCalima · 15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)Saharan dust rides in on an easterly several times a year, most often in late winter, dropping visibility and pushing the temperature up sharply for a day or two.93climate
  5. 🇪🇬 Alexandria, EgyptKhamaseen dust winds · 1 Mar – 15 May (usually)Hot southerlies off the desert push dust over the city for a day or two at a time in spring, and the sea haze holds it in.93climate
  6. 🇮🇶 Baghdad, IraqShamal dust storms · 15 Mar – 30 Jun (usually)North-westerlies lift the dried marsh and desert soil; a bad day turns the sky orange and grounds flights at Baghdad International.92climate
  7. 🇱🇾 Tripoli, LibyaThe ghibli · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)A hot, dust-laden southerly off the desert that can lift the temperature sharply in a few hours and leave grit on everything.92climate
  8. 🇪🇸 Fuerteventura, SpainCalima · 15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)Saharan dust blows across from Africa a few times each winter and spring, dropping visibility to a few hundred metres and occasionally grounding flights.91climate
  9. 🇨🇻 Boa Vista, Cabo VerdeBruma seca · 1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)The Saharan haze Cape Verdeans call bruma seca hits the eastern islands hardest, and Boa Vista sits closest to the African coast.91climate
  10. 🇨🇻 Praia, Cabo VerdeBruma seca dust haze · 15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)Saharan dust crosses the archipelago in the cool months and turns the sky milky for days at a time.90climate
  11. 🇨🇻 Sal, Cabo VerdeBruma seca · 1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)Saharan haze reaches the eastern islands in the cool months and can grey out a week of otherwise faultless weather.90climate
  12. 🇲🇦 Merzouga, MoroccoSpring sandstorms · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)The wind gets up in spring and the dunes move with it: gritty air for days at a time, camps struck early and the road east regularly half-buried.89climate
  13. 🇯🇴 Petra, JordanKhamsin dust days · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot southerly winds pull desert dust over the escarpment for a few days at a stretch in spring, turning the rock flat brown and the light useless for photographs.88climate
  14. 🇸🇦 Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaSpring dust storms · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)The wind off the interior turns the sky ochre for a day or two at a stretch, cancelling flights and putting sand through every window frame.87climate
  15. 🇨🇾 Nicosia, CyprusSpring dust episodes · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Dust off Syria and the Sahara reaches the island several times each spring and it hangs in the Mesaoria basin longer than on the coast.86climate
  16. 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelSharav dust days · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot desert winds push dust over the hills for a few days at a stretch in spring and again in autumn, turning the light brown and the view from the Mount of Olives into nothing.85climate
  17. 🇪🇸 Málaga, SpainCalima dust · 1 Mar – 31 Aug (usually)Saharan dust rides in on a southerly and turns the sky orange and the parked cars brown for a day or two at a time, most often in spring and again at the height of summer.85climate
  18. 🇺🇸 Albuquerque, United StatesSpring wind and blowing dust · 1 Mar – 31 MayThe windiest stretch of the year across the Rio Grande valley, with afternoon gusts that lift dust off the mesa and shut down balloon flights and small aircraft.84climate
  19. 🇪🇬 Luxor, EgyptKhamaseen dust winds · 1 Mar – 15 May (usually)Spring southerlies fill the valley with sand for a day or two at a time and ground the dawn balloon flights.83climate
  20. 🇲🇷 Nouakchott, MauritaniaSand and dust season · 25 Nov – 15 Apr (usually)The harmattan carries Saharan sand straight over the city and the dunes keep working their way into the eastern quarters.83climate
  21. 🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesShamal dust season · 1 Mar – 15 Jun (usually)The northwesterly shamal blows for a day or three at a time in spring and takes the skyline with it; flights hold, the sea turns brown and anyone with a chest keeps indoors.82climate
  22. 🇨🇳 Hotan, ChinaSpring dust season · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hotan sits on the southern rim of the Taklamakan and spring is when the desert moves.82climate
  23. 🇸🇾 Damascus, SyriaKhamsin dust winds · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)The spring southerly arrives with a jump in temperature and a sky the colour of weak tea, usually two or three days at a time before it clears.82climate
  24. 🇪🇬 Aswan, EgyptKhamaseen dust winds · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot southerly winds pick up desert sand for a day or two at a time and the far bank of the Nile disappears behind it.82climate
  25. 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaDust and sandstorm season · 1 Mar – 31 Jul (usually)Spring winds carry interior dust out over the Red Sea coast, whiting out the sky for a day or two at a time and holding flights on the worst of them.79climate

…and 13 more in March.

What's on around the world in March →

Dust season in April

  1. 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelSharav dust days · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot desert winds push dust over the hills for a few days at a stretch in spring and again in autumn, turning the light brown and the view from the Mount of Olives into nothing.96climate
  2. 🇯🇴 Petra, JordanKhamsin dust days · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot southerly winds pull desert dust over the escarpment for a few days at a stretch in spring, turning the rock flat brown and the light useless for photographs.96climate
  3. 🇱🇾 Tripoli, LibyaThe ghibli · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)A hot, dust-laden southerly off the desert that can lift the temperature sharply in a few hours and leave grit on everything.96climate
  4. 🇪🇸 Lanzarote, SpainCalima · 15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)Saharan dust crosses on an easterly a few times each winter and spring, hazing the volcanoes out and occasionally closing the airport.96climate
  5. 🇪🇬 Alexandria, EgyptKhamaseen dust winds · 1 Mar – 15 May (usually)Hot southerlies off the desert push dust over the city for a day or two at a time in spring, and the sea haze holds it in.96climate
  6. 🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, IsraelSharav heat spikes · 1 Apr – 5 Jun (usually)A desert wind pushes in for two or three days at a time in spring, taking the humidity down and the temperature up, sometimes with dust off Sinai.94climate
  7. 🇪🇸 Málaga, SpainCalima dust · 1 Mar – 31 Aug (usually)Saharan dust rides in on a southerly and turns the sky orange and the parked cars brown for a day or two at a time, most often in spring and again at the height of summer.94climate
  8. 🇪🇸 Las Palmas, SpainCalima · 15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)Saharan dust rides in on an easterly several times a year, most often in late winter, dropping visibility and pushing the temperature up sharply for a day or two.94climate
  9. 🇨🇳 Hotan, ChinaSpring dust season · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hotan sits on the southern rim of the Taklamakan and spring is when the desert moves.93climate
  10. 🇨🇳 Kashgar, ChinaFloating dust season · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Spring lifts the Taklamakan off the desert floor and parks it over the oasis.93climate
  11. 🇨🇾 Nicosia, CyprusSpring dust episodes · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Dust off Syria and the Sahara reaches the island several times each spring and it hangs in the Mesaoria basin longer than on the coast.93climate
  12. 🇸🇾 Damascus, SyriaKhamsin dust winds · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)The spring southerly arrives with a jump in temperature and a sky the colour of weak tea, usually two or three days at a time before it clears.92climate
  13. 🇪🇸 Fuerteventura, SpainCalima · 15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)Saharan dust blows across from Africa a few times each winter and spring, dropping visibility to a few hundred metres and occasionally grounding flights.92climate
  14. 🇨🇳 Beijing, ChinaSandstorm season · 1 Mar – 15 May (usually)Dust off the Mongolian plateau reaches the city several times each spring, turning the sky yellow and pushing the air readings off the usual scale for a day or two.91climate
  15. 🇮🇶 Erbil, IraqDust season · 1 Apr – 30 Jun (usually)The shamal lifts the plains and the city turns the colour of the ground for a day or two at a time.91climate
  16. 🇺🇸 Albuquerque, United StatesSpring wind and blowing dust · 1 Mar – 31 MayThe windiest stretch of the year across the Rio Grande valley, with afternoon gusts that lift dust off the mesa and shut down balloon flights and small aircraft.90climate
  17. 🇯🇴 Dead Sea, JordanKhamsin dust winds · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot southerlies off the desert push dust up the rift for a few days at a time in spring, dropping the visibility across the water to nothing and coating everything left outside.88climate
  18. 🇪🇬 Cairo, EgyptKhamaseen dust winds · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot southerly winds carry Saharan dust over the city for a day or two at a time, closing the horizon and grounding the view from the Giza plateau.86climate
  19. 🇰🇷 Seoul, South KoreaFine dust season · 1 Mar – 15 May (usually)Spring brings the worst air of the year, part local, part dust and pollution blown in from the west.85climate
  20. 🇮🇶 Baghdad, IraqShamal dust storms · 15 Mar – 30 Jun (usually)North-westerlies lift the dried marsh and desert soil; a bad day turns the sky orange and grounds flights at Baghdad International.84climate
  21. 🇯🇵 Fukuoka, JapanYellow sand season · 1 Mar – 15 May (usually)Dust off the Asian mainland reaches Kyushu first and the worst days leave a film on parked cars.81climate
  22. 🇰🇷 Incheon, South KoreaFine dust season · 1 Mar – 15 May (usually)Incheon is the first thing the spring westerlies hit, so it reads worse than Seoul on the bad days.81climate
  23. 🇲🇦 Merzouga, MoroccoSpring sandstorms · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)The wind gets up in spring and the dunes move with it: gritty air for days at a time, camps struck early and the road east regularly half-buried.80climate
  24. 🇲🇷 Nouakchott, MauritaniaSand and dust season · 25 Nov – 15 Apr (usually)The harmattan carries Saharan sand straight over the city and the dunes keep working their way into the eastern quarters.79climate
  25. 🇨🇳 Ürümqi, ChinaSpring dust · 15 Mar – 15 May (usually)Spring lifts the basin's dust into the wind gap the city sits in.78climate

…and 10 more in April.

What's on around the world in April →

Dust season in May

  1. 🇪🇸 Málaga, SpainCalima dust · 1 Mar – 31 Aug (usually)Saharan dust rides in on a southerly and turns the sky orange and the parked cars brown for a day or two at a time, most often in spring and again at the height of summer.95climate
  2. 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelSharav dust days · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot desert winds push dust over the hills for a few days at a stretch in spring and again in autumn, turning the light brown and the view from the Mount of Olives into nothing.91climate
  3. 🇯🇴 Petra, JordanKhamsin dust days · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot southerly winds pull desert dust over the escarpment for a few days at a stretch in spring, turning the rock flat brown and the light useless for photographs.91climate
  4. 🇱🇾 Tripoli, LibyaThe ghibli · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)A hot, dust-laden southerly off the desert that can lift the temperature sharply in a few hours and leave grit on everything.91climate
  5. 🇰🇷 Seoul, South KoreaFine dust season · 1 Mar – 15 May (usually)Spring brings the worst air of the year, part local, part dust and pollution blown in from the west.90climate
  6. 🇨🇳 Ürümqi, ChinaSpring dust · 15 Mar – 15 May (usually)Spring lifts the basin's dust into the wind gap the city sits in.90climate
  7. 🇨🇳 Beijing, ChinaSandstorm season · 1 Mar – 15 May (usually)Dust off the Mongolian plateau reaches the city several times each spring, turning the sky yellow and pushing the air readings off the usual scale for a day or two.88climate
  8. 🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, IsraelSharav heat spikes · 1 Apr – 5 Jun (usually)A desert wind pushes in for two or three days at a time in spring, taking the humidity down and the temperature up, sometimes with dust off Sinai.88climate
  9. 🇸🇾 Damascus, SyriaKhamsin dust winds · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)The spring southerly arrives with a jump in temperature and a sky the colour of weak tea, usually two or three days at a time before it clears.88climate
  10. 🇪🇬 Alexandria, EgyptKhamaseen dust winds · 1 Mar – 15 May (usually)Hot southerlies off the desert push dust over the city for a day or two at a time in spring, and the sea haze holds it in.88climate
  11. 🇰🇷 Incheon, South KoreaFine dust season · 1 Mar – 15 May (usually)Incheon is the first thing the spring westerlies hit, so it reads worse than Seoul on the bad days.88climate
  12. 🇺🇸 Albuquerque, United StatesSpring wind and blowing dust · 1 Mar – 31 MayThe windiest stretch of the year across the Rio Grande valley, with afternoon gusts that lift dust off the mesa and shut down balloon flights and small aircraft.87climate
  13. 🇨🇳 Kashgar, ChinaFloating dust season · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Spring lifts the Taklamakan off the desert floor and parks it over the oasis.87climate
  14. 🇨🇾 Nicosia, CyprusSpring dust episodes · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Dust off Syria and the Sahara reaches the island several times each spring and it hangs in the Mesaoria basin longer than on the coast.87climate
  15. 🇨🇳 Hotan, ChinaSpring dust season · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hotan sits on the southern rim of the Taklamakan and spring is when the desert moves.85climate
  16. 🇯🇵 Fukuoka, JapanYellow sand season · 1 Mar – 15 May (usually)Dust off the Asian mainland reaches Kyushu first and the worst days leave a film on parked cars.82climate
  17. 🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar, MongoliaSpring dust storms · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)Gobi dust rides the spring wind up over the city several times a season, turning the sky orange and grounding domestic flights.81climate
  18. 🇵🇪 Cusco, PeruAndean dry season · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)Bright still days, hard frost at night at 3,400 metres, and dust on the trails by August.81climate
  19. 🇮🇶 Erbil, IraqDust season · 1 Apr – 30 Jun (usually)The shamal lifts the plains and the city turns the colour of the ground for a day or two at a time.81climate
  20. 🇯🇴 Dead Sea, JordanKhamsin dust winds · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot southerlies off the desert push dust up the rift for a few days at a time in spring, dropping the visibility across the water to nothing and coating everything left outside.78climate
  21. 🇪🇬 Cairo, EgyptKhamaseen dust winds · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)Hot southerly winds carry Saharan dust over the city for a day or two at a time, closing the horizon and grounding the view from the Giza plateau.77climate
  22. 🇺🇸 Petrified Forest National Park, United StatesSpring wind and dust · 1 Mar – 31 May (usually)March to May is the windy season on the Colorado Plateau, and there is nothing between the badlands and the horizon to slow it down.77climate
  23. 🇯🇵 Kagoshima, JapanSakurajima ashfall · 15 May – 30 Sep (usually)The volcano across the bay erupts most weeks of the year, but it is in summer that the wind carries the ash over the city.72climate
  24. 🇪🇸 Sierra Nevada, SpainCalima on the snow · 15 Feb – 15 Jun (usually)Saharan dust blows north over Andalusia most often in spring, turning the sky orange and leaving the pistes pink.69climate
  25. 🇲🇦 Merzouga, MoroccoSpring sandstorms · 15 Mar – 31 May (usually)The wind gets up in spring and the dunes move with it: gritty air for days at a time, camps struck early and the road east regularly half-buried.67climate

…and 8 more in May.

What's on around the world in May →

Dust season in June

  1. 🇪🇸 Tenerife, SpainCalima dust · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Saharan dust can settle over the island for days, dropping visibility, raising the temperature and putting the airport on the news.91climate
  2. 🇩🇿 Algiers, AlgeriaSirocco and Saharan dust · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)A few times a summer the wind swings round off the desert and the city goes hot, hazy and gritty for two or three days at a stretch.88climate
  3. 🇪🇸 Málaga, SpainCalima dust · 1 Mar – 31 Aug (usually)Saharan dust rides in on a southerly and turns the sky orange and the parked cars brown for a day or two at a time, most often in spring and again at the height of summer.88climate
  4. 🇵🇪 Cusco, PeruAndean dry season · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)Bright still days, hard frost at night at 3,400 metres, and dust on the trails by August.82climate
  5. 🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, IsraelSharav heat spikes · 1 Apr – 5 Jun (usually)A desert wind pushes in for two or three days at a time in spring, taking the humidity down and the temperature up, sometimes with dust off Sinai.80climate
  6. 🇪🇸 Sierra Nevada, SpainCalima on the snow · 15 Feb – 15 Jun (usually)Saharan dust blows north over Andalusia most often in spring, turning the sky orange and leaving the pistes pink.79climate
  7. 🇲🇦 Marrakesh, MoroccoThe chergui · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)A dry easterly off the Sahara that adds several degrees to an already extreme month and fills the air with dust.74climate
  8. 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaDust and sandstorm season · 1 Mar – 31 Jul (usually)Spring winds carry interior dust out over the Red Sea coast, whiting out the sky for a day or two at a time and holding flights on the worst of them.59climate
  9. 🇯🇵 Kagoshima, JapanSakurajima ashfall · 15 May – 30 Sep (usually)The volcano across the bay erupts most weeks of the year, but it is in summer that the wind carries the ash over the city.49climate
  10. 🇮🇶 Erbil, IraqDust season · 1 Apr – 30 Jun (usually)The shamal lifts the plains and the city turns the colour of the ground for a day or two at a time.46climate
  11. 🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesShamal dust season · 1 Mar – 15 Jun (usually)The northwesterly shamal blows for a day or three at a time in spring and takes the skyline with it; flights hold, the sea turns brown and anyone with a chest keeps indoors.44climate
  12. 🇸🇩 Port Sudan, SudanHaboob dust storms · 1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)A wall of dust arrives off the desert ahead of a storm and visibility drops to nothing for an hour or two.43climate
  13. 🇺🇸 Scottsdale, United StatesMonsoon dust storms · 15 Jun – 30 SepOutflow from collapsing thunderstorms pushes a wall of dust across the valley a few times a summer, dropping visibility to nothing on the freeways within minutes.42climate
  14. 🇮🇳 Delhi, IndiaThe loo and dust storms · 15 Apr – 20 Jun (usually)A hot dry wind off the western desert that carries dust across the plain and can push visibility down for a day.33climate
  15. 🇮🇶 Baghdad, IraqShamal dust storms · 15 Mar – 30 Jun (usually)North-westerlies lift the dried marsh and desert soil; a bad day turns the sky orange and grounds flights at Baghdad International.30climate
  16. 🇶🇦 Doha, QatarSummer shamal dust · 15 May – 15 Aug (usually)The long north-westerly blows for days at a stretch in early summer, hazing the skyline and putting sand through every door seal.29climate
  17. 🇰🇼 Kuwait City, KuwaitSummer shamal dust · 1 Jun – 31 Jul (usually)The northwesterly picks up desert sand and the sky goes orange for days at a stretch; flights are delayed and the air is unbreathable for anyone with a chest.28climate

What's on around the world in June →

Dust season in July

  1. 🇪🇸 Tenerife, SpainCalima dust · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Saharan dust can settle over the island for days, dropping visibility, raising the temperature and putting the airport on the news.86climate
  2. 🇵🇪 Cusco, PeruAndean dry season · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)Bright still days, hard frost at night at 3,400 metres, and dust on the trails by August.83climate
  3. 🇪🇸 Málaga, SpainCalima dust · 1 Mar – 31 Aug (usually)Saharan dust rides in on a southerly and turns the sky orange and the parked cars brown for a day or two at a time, most often in spring and again at the height of summer.81climate
  4. 🇩🇿 Algiers, AlgeriaSirocco and Saharan dust · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)A few times a summer the wind swings round off the desert and the city goes hot, hazy and gritty for two or three days at a stretch.79climate
  5. 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaDust and sandstorm season · 1 Mar – 31 Jul (usually)Spring winds carry interior dust out over the Red Sea coast, whiting out the sky for a day or two at a time and holding flights on the worst of them.52climate
  6. 🇲🇦 Marrakesh, MoroccoThe chergui · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)A dry easterly off the Sahara that adds several degrees to an already extreme month and fills the air with dust.49climate
  7. 🇯🇵 Kagoshima, JapanSakurajima ashfall · 15 May – 30 Sep (usually)The volcano across the bay erupts most weeks of the year, but it is in summer that the wind carries the ash over the city.45climate
  8. 🇸🇩 Port Sudan, SudanHaboob dust storms · 1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)A wall of dust arrives off the desert ahead of a storm and visibility drops to nothing for an hour or two.34climate
  9. 🇺🇸 Scottsdale, United StatesMonsoon dust storms · 15 Jun – 30 SepOutflow from collapsing thunderstorms pushes a wall of dust across the valley a few times a summer, dropping visibility to nothing on the freeways within minutes.31climate
  10. 🇺🇸 Phoenix, United StatesHaboobs · 1 Jul – 10 Sep (usually)Thunderstorm outflows lift a wall of dust hundreds of metres high across the valley in minutes, grounding flights and dropping visibility to nothing.29climate
  11. 🇰🇼 Kuwait City, KuwaitSummer shamal dust · 1 Jun – 31 Jul (usually)The northwesterly picks up desert sand and the sky goes orange for days at a stretch; flights are delayed and the air is unbreathable for anyone with a chest.25climate
  12. 🇶🇦 Doha, QatarSummer shamal dust · 15 May – 15 Aug (usually)The long north-westerly blows for days at a stretch in early summer, hazing the skyline and putting sand through every door seal.24climate

What's on around the world in July →

Dust season in August

  1. 🇵🇪 Cusco, PeruAndean dry season · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)Bright still days, hard frost at night at 3,400 metres, and dust on the trails by August.84climate
  2. 🇪🇸 Tenerife, SpainCalima dust · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Saharan dust can settle over the island for days, dropping visibility, raising the temperature and putting the airport on the news.82climate
  3. 🇪🇸 Málaga, SpainCalima dust · 1 Mar – 31 Aug (usually)Saharan dust rides in on a southerly and turns the sky orange and the parked cars brown for a day or two at a time, most often in spring and again at the height of summer.79climate
  4. 🇩🇿 Algiers, AlgeriaSirocco and Saharan dust · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)A few times a summer the wind swings round off the desert and the city goes hot, hazy and gritty for two or three days at a stretch.78climate
  5. 🇯🇵 Kagoshima, JapanSakurajima ashfall · 15 May – 30 Sep (usually)The volcano across the bay erupts most weeks of the year, but it is in summer that the wind carries the ash over the city.52climate
  6. 🇲🇦 Marrakesh, MoroccoThe chergui · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)A dry easterly off the Sahara that adds several degrees to an already extreme month and fills the air with dust.46climate
  7. 🇺🇸 Scottsdale, United StatesMonsoon dust storms · 15 Jun – 30 SepOutflow from collapsing thunderstorms pushes a wall of dust across the valley a few times a summer, dropping visibility to nothing on the freeways within minutes.37climate
  8. 🇺🇸 Phoenix, United StatesHaboobs · 1 Jul – 10 Sep (usually)Thunderstorm outflows lift a wall of dust hundreds of metres high across the valley in minutes, grounding flights and dropping visibility to nothing.34climate
  9. 🇸🇩 Port Sudan, SudanHaboob dust storms · 1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)A wall of dust arrives off the desert ahead of a storm and visibility drops to nothing for an hour or two.31climate
  10. 🇶🇦 Doha, QatarSummer shamal dust · 15 May – 15 Aug (usually)The long north-westerly blows for days at a stretch in early summer, hazing the skyline and putting sand through every door seal.27climate

What's on around the world in August →

Dust season in September

  1. 🇵🇪 Cusco, PeruAndean dry season · 1 May – 30 Sep (usually)Bright still days, hard frost at night at 3,400 metres, and dust on the trails by August.84climate
  2. 🇪🇸 Tenerife, SpainCalima dust · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)Saharan dust can settle over the island for days, dropping visibility, raising the temperature and putting the airport on the news.84climate
  3. 🇩🇿 Algiers, AlgeriaSirocco and Saharan dust · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)A few times a summer the wind swings round off the desert and the city goes hot, hazy and gritty for two or three days at a stretch.83climate
  4. 🇲🇦 Marrakesh, MoroccoThe chergui · 15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)A dry easterly off the Sahara that adds several degrees to an already extreme month and fills the air with dust.75climate
  5. 🇯🇵 Kagoshima, JapanSakurajima ashfall · 15 May – 30 Sep (usually)The volcano across the bay erupts most weeks of the year, but it is in summer that the wind carries the ash over the city.55climate
  6. 🇺🇸 Scottsdale, United StatesMonsoon dust storms · 15 Jun – 30 SepOutflow from collapsing thunderstorms pushes a wall of dust across the valley a few times a summer, dropping visibility to nothing on the freeways within minutes.52climate
  7. 🇺🇸 Phoenix, United StatesHaboobs · 1 Jul – 10 Sep (usually)Thunderstorm outflows lift a wall of dust hundreds of metres high across the valley in minutes, grounding flights and dropping visibility to nothing.49climate
  8. 🇸🇩 Port Sudan, SudanHaboob dust storms · 1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)A wall of dust arrives off the desert ahead of a storm and visibility drops to nothing for an hour or two.46climate

What's on around the world in September →

Dust season in November

  1. 🇲🇷 Nouakchott, MauritaniaSand and dust season · 25 Nov – 15 Apr (usually)The harmattan carries Saharan sand straight over the city and the dunes keep working their way into the eastern quarters.80climate
  2. 🇨🇻 Praia, Cabo VerdeBruma seca dust haze · 15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)Saharan dust crosses the archipelago in the cool months and turns the sky milky for days at a time.77climate
  3. 🇲🇱 Bamako, MaliHarmattan · 25 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)The Saharan wind arrives from the north-east in late November and stays until spring: dry air, a sky that never quite clears, and red dust over everything in the unpaved quarters.71climate
  4. 🇧🇫 Ouagadougou, Burkina FasoHarmattan · 15 Nov – 20 Feb (usually)The full Sahelian version: a permanent film of dust, a sun you can look straight at, and mornings cold enough for a coat.68climate
  5. 🇹🇩 N'Djamena, ChadHarmattan · 25 Nov – 10 Mar (usually)Sahelian dust on a north-easterly, cold mornings and a sky the colour of weak tea.64climate
  6. 🇳🇪 Niamey, NigerHarmattan · 25 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)The coolest and driest weeks of the year, and the dustiest: a north-easterly off the Sahara, cold enough for a jacket at dawn, and a haze that never fully lifts.60climate

What's on around the world in November →

Dust season in December

  1. 🇳🇪 Niamey, NigerHarmattan · 25 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)The coolest and driest weeks of the year, and the dustiest: a north-easterly off the Sahara, cold enough for a jacket at dawn, and a haze that never fully lifts.84climate
  2. 🇹🇩 N'Djamena, ChadHarmattan · 25 Nov – 10 Mar (usually)Sahelian dust on a north-easterly, cold mornings and a sky the colour of weak tea.84climate
  3. 🇲🇷 Nouakchott, MauritaniaSand and dust season · 25 Nov – 15 Apr (usually)The harmattan carries Saharan sand straight over the city and the dunes keep working their way into the eastern quarters.84climate
  4. 🇨🇻 Praia, Cabo VerdeBruma seca dust haze · 15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)Saharan dust crosses the archipelago in the cool months and turns the sky milky for days at a time.83climate
  5. 🇲🇱 Bamako, MaliHarmattan · 25 Nov – 15 Mar (usually)The Saharan wind arrives from the north-east in late November and stays until spring: dry air, a sky that never quite clears, and red dust over everything in the unpaved quarters.83climate
  6. 🇨🇻 Boa Vista, Cabo VerdeBruma seca · 1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)The Saharan haze Cape Verdeans call bruma seca hits the eastern islands hardest, and Boa Vista sits closest to the African coast.83climate
  7. 🇸🇳 Dakar, SenegalSaharan dust season · 1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually)Dust off the Sahara crosses the Cap-Vert peninsula through the cool months and drops the visibility to a few kilometres for days at a time.82climate
  8. 🇨🇻 Sal, Cabo VerdeBruma seca · 1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)Saharan haze reaches the eastern islands in the cool months and can grey out a week of otherwise faultless weather.82climate
  9. 🇳🇬 Abuja, NigeriaHarmattan · 1 Dec – 20 Feb (usually)Saharan dust reaches the middle belt properly: a flat white sky, dust on every surface, and mornings cold enough for a jacket.81climate
  10. 🇬🇲 Banjul, GambiaHarmattan haze · 1 Dec – 1 Mar (usually)Saharan dust drifts down the coast through the cool months and flattens the light for days at a time.80climate
  11. 🇸🇳 Saint-Louis, SenegalSaharan dust · 1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually)Dust off the desert crosses the river mouth through the cool months and drops the visibility for days at a time.80climate
  12. 🇧🇫 Ouagadougou, Burkina FasoHarmattan · 15 Nov – 20 Feb (usually)The full Sahelian version: a permanent film of dust, a sun you can look straight at, and mornings cold enough for a coat.78climate
  13. 🇬🇭 Kumasi, GhanaHarmattan · 1 Dec – 15 Feb (usually)Inland Ashanti gets the harmattan properly, not the coastal version: cold mornings, cracked skin, a red haze over the city and dust through every open window on the road to Accra.75climate
  14. 🇬🇳 Conakry, GuineaHarmattan and the dry months · 1 Dec – 15 Apr (usually)The harmattan takes over in December and the rain effectively stops.74climate
  15. 🇸🇱 Freetown, Sierra LeoneHarmattan haze · 1 Dec – 20 Feb (usually)Saharan dust reaches this far down the coast through the driest weeks and takes the view of the hills with it.74climate
  16. 🇱🇷 Monrovia, LiberiaHarmattan haze · 10 Dec – 10 Feb (usually)A weak version of the Sahelian harmattan reaches the coast for a few weeks: hazy horizons, cooler nights and dry air, which after six months of rain is a relief more than a nuisance.70climate
  17. 🇬🇭 Cape Coast, GhanaHarmattan haze · 1 Dec – 15 Feb (usually)The coast gets a diluted version of the northern harmattan: a milky sky, dry skin and dust on the castle whitewash.70climate
  18. 🇧🇯 Cotonou, BeninHarmattan haze · 5 Dec – 10 Feb (usually)The coast gets a thinned-down version of the northern harmattan: a flat white sky, dry air off the Sahara and dust on everything left out on the balcony.69climate
  19. 🇬🇭 Accra, GhanaHarmattan haze · 5 Dec – 10 Feb (usually)The coast gets a diluted version of the northern harmattan: hazy horizons, dry skin, and a fine dust on everything left outside.68climate
  20. 🇹🇬 Lomé, TogoHarmattan haze · 5 Dec – 15 Feb (usually)The coastal version of the Saharan wind: white sky, dry air, dust settling on the beach bars and the border traffic at Aflao.68climate
  21. 🇨🇮 Abidjan, Côte d'IvoireHarmattan haze · 10 Dec – 15 Feb (usually)Abidjan sits at the far southern edge of the harmattan.66climate

What's on around the world in December →