While Saharan Dust has abated, giving the country some relief, Trinidad and Tobago’s air quality continues to be affected mainly by smoke from the abundant bushfires. However, by April 3rd, 2023, dust levels are set to be on the increase across the region.
What you need to know
— Saharan Dust Surges: A moderate to high concentration surge of Saharan Dust is forecast to arrive across Trinidad and Tobago on Monday, April 3rd, 2023, with dust levels increasing through the upcoming week.
— Impacts: Through the next seven days, air quality levels across Trinidad and Tobago are forecast to be between good and moderate, occasionally dipping to levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups during high-traffic periods as well as in the vicinity of bushfires. In larger or more smoke-producing bushfires, air quality may be further reduced.
— What Should You Do: Sensitive groups may need to take the necessary precautions, particularly during high-traffic periods and in the vicinity of bushfires.
Current AQI Levels Across T&T
Based on information from official air quality monitoring stations from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Arima is reporting good air quality levels, while the station at San Fernando reporting moderate air quality levels and Point Lisas is reporting air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. The stations located at Signal Hill, Tobago, and Beetham, Trinidad, are not reporting data.
These measurements are based on PM2.5 (particulates the size of 2.5 micrometers and smaller, usually associated with increases in Saharan Dust, vehicle exhaust, and smoke) and PM10 particulates.
Over the last 24 hours, visibility remained unaffected by Saharan Dust at the Piarco International Airport and the A.N.R. Robinson International Airport at Crown Point, Tobago.
Saharan Dust Forecast
Next Surge: Arriving April 3rd, 2023
Saharan Dust levels are set to increase on April 3rd, 2023 during the morning. Concentrations are forecast to increase throughout the week with an initial peak on April 5th, 2023. Moderate to high concentrations are forecast to remain across Trinidad, Tobago, and the Lesser Antilles through mid-April.
Through the next seven to ten days, air quality levels across Trinidad and Tobago are forecast to be between good and moderate, occasionally dipping to levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups during high-traffic periods as well as in the vicinity of bushfires.
By April 3rd, air quality is forecast to remain mostly at moderate levels, with further reductions in the vicinity of bushfires or during high-traffic periods.
What does this mean for you?
The air quality is forecast to be lowered primarily during high traffic periods, particularly between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM and again from 3:00 PM through 6:30 PM, as well as during times of blowing smoke and dust from bushfires.
The surges of dust during this time of year are due to the Harmattan, a season in the West African subcontinent that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. During this season, a predominant northeasterly trade wind (dubbed the Harmattan Winds) blows from the Sahara Desert over Western Africa into the Gulf of Guinea.
During this period, a ridge of high pressure stays over the central Sahara Desert, and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) remains over the Gulf of Guinea. The Harmattan wind accelerates when it blows across the mountain massifs of Northwest Africa. If its speed is high enough and it blows over dust source regions, it lifts the dust and disperses it.
Dust that makes it into the upper levels of the atmosphere can then get transported across the Atlantic Ocean and affect the Eastern Caribbean. These Saharan Dust outbreaks tend to be milder in the Eastern Caribbean than the dust outbreaks associated with West African thunderstorms driving dust into the upper atmosphere from April through November.
