A significant surge of Saharan Dust is moving across the Windward Islands, including Trinidad and Tobago. Air quality levels reached unhealthy levels for sensitive groups on Sunday. Peak dust concentrations are ongoing across Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
What you need to know
— Saharan Dust Surges: From now through Monday, June 9th, 2025, a significant, high-concentration surge of Saharan Dust is forecast to move across the Windward Islands, including Trinidad and Tobago. While improvement is forecast through the week, generally mild to moderate Saharan Dust levels are expected across T&T, even with rainfall episodes.
— Impacts: Air quality is forecast to drop between moderate and unhealthy for sensitive groups through June 9th, generally remaining between good and moderate levels thereafter through June 18th.
— What Should You Do: Throughout the forecast period, everyone is advised to take necessary precautions, particularly those in sensitive groups through June 9th.
Current AQI Levels Across T&T
As of 3:00 PM, June 8th, 2025, the official air quality monitoring stations from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) at Beetham outside of Port of Spain, Point Lisas, and San Fernando report air quality that are unhealthy for sensitive groups while all other stations (Signal Hill, Toco, Arima) are not currently transmitting PM2.5 or PM10 data.
Unofficial air quality monitoring stations at Longdenville and Woodbrook report air quality levels that are moderate to unhealthy to sensitive groups.
These measurements are based on PM2.5 (particulates smaller than 2.5 micrometers in size, typically associated with increases in Saharan Dust, vehicle exhaust, and smoke) and PM10 particulates.
Outside of rainfall, visibility, used as a proxy for Saharan Dust concentrations, at the A.N.R. Robinson International Airport at Crown Point, Tobago, and at Piarco, has dropped to 5 kilometers.
Saharan Dust Forecast For T&T
June 8th through 9th: High to significant concentrations of Saharan Dust with air quality and visibility significantly degraded. Air quality levels are likely to remain between moderate and unhealthy for sensitive groups during this period. Horizontal visibility outside of rainfall is likely to fall between five and seven kilometers.
June 10th through June 18th: Mild to moderate concentrations of Saharan Dust with air quality generally at good to moderate levels. Visibility marginally affected.
What does this mean for you?
Based on the latest forecast, air quality levels are expected to decrease to unhealthy levels for sensitive groups over the next 36 hours for Trinidad and Tobago, reaching unhealthy levels overnight.
At this level, everyone, but particularly members of sensitive groups, may experience health effects. There is an increasing likelihood of respiratory symptoms in sensitive individuals, aggravation of heart or lung disease, and premature mortality in persons with cardiopulmonary disease & the elderly.
Beyond June 10th, air quality is forecast to remain generally at moderate levels, with only the most sensitive groups marginally affected.
We’re now in a period where the Intertropical Convergence Zone, tropical waves, and occasional tropical cyclones may shield Trinidad and Tobago from the Saharan Dust events. While tropical waves are notable in moving dust across the Atlantic and the Eastern Caribbean, these periodic tropical waves also improve air quality.
Peak dust concentrations climatologically occur during June across the Main Development Region of the Atlantic, just east of Trinidad and Tobago.
The concentration of the dust that follows the wave depends on its strength as it moves off the West African Coast. This is because of stronger thunderstorms across Central Africa. As strong winds move downward and outward from these thunderstorms, they kick up dust as they move across parts of the Saharan Desert and transport it into the upper atmosphere. This “plume” of dust follows the axis of the wave as it progresses westward into the Atlantic.
Dust that enters the upper levels of the atmosphere can then be transported across the Atlantic Ocean. The plumes of dust eventually affect the Eastern Caribbean.
Larger, more concentrated plumes of Saharan dust begin in April and continue through November.
