A massive Sahara Desert dust cloud is drifting 5,000 miles over the Atlantic towards the US - and experts have warned it could bring extreme heat while impacting air quality in five southeastern states.
Skies over Florida, along with southern swathes of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, will look 'a little hazy' and could turn brown from the sandy plume as it lingers over the weekend.
Along with haze, the desert dust will catalyze scorching temperatures of around 105 degrees in the Sunshine State and an uptick in allergies - but it will also bring brighter sunsets and suppress tropical thunderstorms, meteorologists have said.
Experts call the clouds the 'Saharan Air Layer' - defined as 'a mass of very dry, dusty air that forms over the Sahara Desert during the late spring, summer and early fall'.
When this air mass combines with strong jet streams - like the ones currently moving across the Atlantic and heading towards the south-east coast - the plumes can travel thousands of miles.
All of Florida is expected to be affected by the Sahara Air Layer, along with southern swathes of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, forecasters have warned
A massive Sahara Desert dust cloud is drifting 5,000 miles over the Atlantic towards the US - and experts have warned it could bring extreme heat of 109 degrees to Florida
The dust is so dense it could be seen from space on Thursday, with NOAA's weather satellite spotting the first cloud over the eastern Caribbean Sea and the Lesser Antilles
AccuWeather is tracking 'several large clouds of dust' currently moving in from Africa's 3.6-million-square-mile blistering-hot desert - while warning that even bigger plumes are predicted to float over next week.
The immense clouds are forecast to cross the entire ocean before hitting Florida and the Caribbean on Saturday, along with parts of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi on Sunday.
'It may look a little hazy in cities like Tampa, Orlando and Miami as some of that drier air comes in,' Accuweather forecaster Bernie Rayno said.
The dust is so dense it could be seen from space on Thursday, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather satellite spotting the first cloud over the eastern Caribbean Sea and the Lesser Antilles.
Meanwhile, the larger plume due next week is only just emerging on the African coast.
Dense dust particles interact with the light to produce daytime haze and stunning pink and orange sunsets, while the Saharan air - which is 50% drier than the typical Floridian atmosphere - can suppress storms by preventing cloud formation.
Florida is currently under a heat advisory, with meteorologists warning temperatures are likely to soar to 109 degrees on Saturday.
The floating dust can also trigger allergy-like symptoms like coughing and sneezing.
According to NOAA, Saharan Air Layer outbreaks usually occupy a 2 to 2.5-mile-thick layer of the atmosphere with the base starting about 1 mile above the surface.
This means it won't affect the air quality as badly as recent Canadian wildfires which are continuing to burn - sporadically choking New York City and the east coast throughout the summer.
As of Wednesday, there were 639 active fires burning in Canada with 351 of them out of control, according to Michael Norton, director general at the Northern Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service.
So far this year there have been 3,412 fires, well above the 10-year average of 2,751.
Experts call the clouds the 'Saharan Air Layer' - defined as 'a mass of very dry, dusty air that forms over the Sahara Desert during the late spring, summer and early fall'
According to NOAA, Saharan Air Layer outbreaks usually occupy a 2 to 2.5-mile-thick layer of the atmosphere with the base starting about 1 mile above the surface
The Canadian blazes have already broken records for total area burned, the number of people forced to evacuate their homes and the cost of fighting the blazes - and the fire season is only halfway through, officials have warned.
Meanwhile, Florida's air quality is currently rated as 'Good' in most places by the state's Department of Environmental Protection, meaning particulate matter in the air is low.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) ratings, which range from 0 to 500, are currently mostly under 50 for almost all areas in the state, qualifying as 'Good'.
The incoming Sahara plume could trigger a rise in AQI of a little more than 50, which is categorized as 'Moderate'.
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