The MET Office is warning of unhealthy conditions for persons with sensitive respiratory systems as high levels of Saharan dust are prevalent across the country. In its recent forecasts, the Met Office said there has been a “significant concentration of Saharan dust.
MET services warned: “Conditions may be unhealthy for sensitive persons, so caution is advised, and this will likely reduce air quality and negatively affect persons with existing respiratory and other ailments.”
Additionally, the 2024 dry season rainfall shows “strongly-enhanced signals for suppression of rainfall towards drier-than-usual conditions in the first half of the season, followed by wetter than usual for the second half of the season for both islands.”
“The expected drier-than-usual conditions in the first half of the dry season will negatively impact surface and groundwater recharge rates and stream flow rates.
“Initial drier than usual and warmer than usual conditions at the beginning of the dry season may lead to an increase in breeding areas for insect vectors such as mosquitoes due to uncovered water storage devices.”