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Date Published: 17/03/2022
ARCHIVED - Saharan dust passes on its way, but air quality remains dangerously bad
Although the dust has gone, heavy rain and strong winds continue to cause mayhem in Murcia
The Region of Murcia woke up this Thursday to notably clearer skies. The disconcerting haze that has stained the sky orange for the last three days has mostly passed now, but environmental experts warn that while the visible orange dust particles may have gone, the air quality still remains at harmfully high levels.
Yesterday it emerged that Spain had the worst air quality in the world this week, even behind India and China. The National Air Quality Index of the Ministry for Ecological Transition has revealed that this morning that at 7am the air quality was still “extremely unfavourable” in Lorca and in the Escombreras Valley, while sensors in Murcia, Alcantarilla, Caravaca de la Cruz and Alumbres showed “very unfavourable” records. In Cartagena, meanwhile, the air quality has been upgraded slightly to “unfavourable”, while only in the Altiplano is it “reasonably good”.
In addition, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) is maintaining its yellow alert throughout the region for rainfall that could reach up to 60mm in 12 hours in the Northwest, the Guadalentín Valley, Lorca and Águilas and the Campo de Cartagena and Mazarrón. The rains will also affect the Vega de Segura, although to a lesser extent, with an accumulated rainfall forecast of 15mm in 12 hours.
There will also continue to be strong gusts of wind. In the Altiplano, Aemet forecasts gusts of up to 80k/h, while on the coast the wind will cause waves of up to three metres high.
Strong winds damage Murcia streets
The wind has wreaked havoc on trees, telephone poles and buildings across the Region the last few days. In Cartagena, local police and firefighters attended more than 20 incidents on Tuesday alone, with at least nine trees being knocked over in and around the city, crushing cars and properties in the process.
The gale also caused debris to fall from two buildings in the city centre, while there were warnings of beams and sheet metal falling from construction sites in the Barrio de la Concepción and on Calle San Antonio.
In Mazarrón, meanwhile, several tiles were blown off the roof of the Casa de la Cultura, but thankfully no one was hurt.
Cartagena’s Councillor for Public Safety and Public Roads, Juan Pedro Torralba, has reminded the public to continue to exercise “great caution when going out into the street”, even though the Saharan dust has mostly vanished.
Image: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena
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