Romania suffocated by Saharan dust. The reaction of the drivers when they saw their cars: “Unbelievable, how dusty! I’ve never seen anything like this before”

The dust was chosen over half of Romania. Early in the morning, the cars were covered by a fine layer of reddish sand, so instead of going to work, the drivers made a stop at the car wash. It is the most intense episode of Saharan dust crossing our country in the last six years, more precisely since 2018.

By the Observator editorial team on 24.04.2024, 13:32

“Unbelievable, how dusty! I’ve never seen anything like it before.” It is the surprise that ruined the morning of many Romanians. After the rain, they found their cars stuck, not with mud, but with Saharan dust. So each driver cleaned them as best he could.

Reporter: To the laundry with her directly?

Driver: Not that I have to get to work.

Reporter: What do you wipe it with?

Driver: Wet wipes.

And in Bucharest, the cars looked like after a long journey through the Sahara. “When I woke up in the morning and saw what was on her, I couldn’t believe it. I talked to a friend, he told me that he also went to wash her and that the tail is quite big”, he says a driver.

Saharan dust has settled even on the Omu Peak

“During the early hours of the morning, the drivers tried to clean their cars themselves, but they were not successful. Moreover, the specialists say that it is not even recommended to do this by ourselves when we are talking about a large amount of Saharan dust, because he will most likely scratch himself”, reports Clara Mihociu, Observer reporter. Nevertheless, dozens of cars lined up at the car washes. “I couldn’t even drive. I went with my mother to the doctor and I had to stop with a bottle of water to wash a little like that.”

The Saharan dust was deposited even on the Omu Peak, where it literally colored the snow layer. The phenomenon was also visible from the satellite and even on the surveillance cameras in the parking lots. “On the dark-colored cars, you can see the Saharan dust the most. They are so dirty that they give the impression that they have been abandoned for a very long time,” reports Adrian Obreja, Observer reporter.

Not only Romania was covered by Saharan dust. The cloud engulfed the Acropolis and other areas of Athens. In the Kalamata region, the atmosphere has become suffocating, especially for those with respiratory problems. Meteorologists say the sky will lighten today as the wind blows up the dust.