Forecasts and warnings of sand and dust storms in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa are now more readily accessible thanks to a new website designed to meet growing user needs for more information on these major hazards which affect weather, climate, the environment, health and economies in many parts of the world
Europe’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) has been closely monitoring a summer of extreme wildfires across the Northern Hemisphere, including intense hotspots around the Mediterranean basin and in North America and Siberia. The intense fires led to new records in the CAMS dataset with the months of July and August seeing their highest global carbon emissions respectively.
A major intrusion of sand and dust from the Sahara transformed skies and the landscape over Europe on the weekend of 6-7 February, with far-reaching impacts for the environment and health. It once again highlighted the importance of accurate forecasts and warnings of this transboundary hazard.
An unusually early and intense heatwave has set new temperature records in Europe, posing a major threat to people's health, agriculture and the environment. Initial reports indicated that heat-health early warnings successfully limited the death toll.
