The city of Athens and other regions in Greece turned orange this Tuesday, impressing locals as well as social media users who shared surreal images and videos that have been compared to scenes from a movie or landscapes from the planet Mars. However, the local newspaper Ekathimerini reported that the phenomenon is due to airborne dust arriving in the country from Africa on Tuesday, but it’s expected to start clearing up from Wednesday onwards.
Similarly, the country’s Meteorological Service has confirmed the event and explained that the frequency and intensity of these types of phenomena in Greece can vary, but on average, there are about 13 such episodes each year.
Through social media, users shared images of several iconic locations in the Hellenic country covered in yellow and orange hues due to the high concentration of dust particles. Authorities have already warned about the risks this poses for those with respiratory illnesses.
This story was originally written in Spanish by Daniel Matute in Cultura Colectiva News.
