Alex Trelinski
STORMS and rain hitting Spain’s Mediterranean coast will get an extra element this week in the form of ‘blood rain’- caused by Saharan dust.
The phenomenon pops up at various times of the year, with March one of the target months
Weather forecaster Proyecto Mastral based in Torrevieja warned: “This is not a good time to clean”, suggesting that car owners and people with outdoor terraces should wait for this week’s rain to blow over.
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Otherwise, they’ll have to do double the work as muddy dust settles on vehicles and patios.
Also known as a calima, ‘blood rain’ is marked by a dense concentration of dust, sand, and ash from the Sahara desert trapped among rain clouds.
It has the remarkable effect of casting a reddish hue over the Spanish skies, and once the rain has settled it leaves a fine red coating over cars, streets and the land in general.
Unlike fog, which consists of water droplets, a calima comprises of solid particles which can travel vast distances carried by the wind.
It can also have the added effect of potentially altering local climate conditions by trapping heat in the atmosphere.
The origins of the calima are multifaceted, involving natural processes such as sandstorms in arid regions and volcanic eruptions, as well as human-induced factors from factories and agricultural activities.
The mud showers created by the calima have a clay-like texture and therefore not so easy to remove.
The fine particles in the ‘blood rain’ can also infiltrate the lungs, leading to respiratory issues, while also affecting air quality and visibility, thus impacting outdoor activities and transportation.
