Saharan dust keeps storms at bay

Saharan Air Layer taken from the NOAA P-3 Orion. Saharan dust gives the sky an orange glow during this late afternoon sunset in the eastern Caribbean. Small cumulus clouds can be seen poking through the tops of the dust layer (Photo credit: Jason Dunion NOAA/HRD)

(CNS): With August just around the corner, the time when we can expect an increase in stormy weather in the region, experts are saying that this season the Atlantic is very unlikely to cause much hurricane trouble. Wind sheer, El Nino and lower than average Atlantic ocean temperatures are contributing to the quiet fronts and it may be African dust that will protect us this year from the ravages of unruly storms.

Global warming is still making weather behave in extraordinary and sometimes unexpected ways, so we can never be certain that Cayman will escape the wrath of a storm. And even though 2014 has been confirmed as the warmest year on record and the Pacific has already had its fair share of tropical storms this year, African dust storms over the Sahara are keeping hurricanes at bay on this side of the world.

Experts from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been studying the impact this layer of Sahara dust has on the hurricanes on this side of the Atlantic. Researchers said this week that the atmosphere over the ocean has been much drier and dustier this season and this may very well be suppressing hurricane formation. Research led by Justin Dunion at NOAA into the phenomenon has found a link between years with greater Saharan dust activity and fewer hurricanes.

“Whether an individual storm is going to get affected by one of these Saharan dust outbreaks is still a question at times,” he said. “But overall we think of these Saharan dust storms as hurricane suppressants.”

Many weather experts blogging online all appear united in their position that the amount of dust drifting across the Atlantic will be a major factor in preventing hurricane development this August and possibly for the remainder of the season.

Nevertheless, local officials are urging people to ensure that they remain fully prepared throughout the hurricane season for the real possibility of a major storm in our area at any time and are warning residents not to get complacent.