Africa-Press – Cape verde. The dry fog that has been covering the Cape Verde archipelago for several days is conditioning air connections and expelling “ high levels of inhalable particles ” that can cause health problems, official sources warned today.
In a statement, the National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (INMG) warned the population that the dust cloud has affected the archipelago, resulting in “ high levels of inhalable particles ”, which “ significantly exceed the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) for air quality ”.
The same source said that the air quality index is bad and that over the next few days these “ adverse conditions ” are expected to persist, with “ negative impacts on economic activities and social well-being ”.
“ The population must be aware of the risks associated with prolonged exposure to high levels of PM10 and PM2.5, known to cause respiratory problems and other health impacts ”, he continued, ensuring that he will continue to monitor the situation.
INMG recommended that people avoid outdoor activities, use protective masks when leaving home, protect indoor environments and seek medical assistance in case of severe respiratory symptoms.
Cabo Verde Airports, a company that has been generating from Cape Verdean airports since July, also said in a statement that “ the low visibility caused by the dense dry haze affects all inter-island connections and has been conditioning some international connections with Cape Verde airports. São Vicente and Boa Vista ”.
International operations at Sal and Praia airports, assured the same source, “ are taking place without limitations ”.
“ During this week, visibility will continue to be very reduced due to dry fog ”, concluded Cabo Verde Airports, in the same note.
In turn, the Maritime and Port Institute (IMP) banned local fishing vessels, boats and small open-mouthed vessels from leaving the sea as long as these weather conditions persist, due to the weather conditions in the archipelago.
Over the next 72 hours, it predicts a tendency for the wind to intensify, with gusts that can reach seven meters, a “ significant worsening ” of the sea state and visibility that is temporarily poor and at times moderate due to the dry fog.
Dry fog is a dust storm originating from the Sahara desert, common at various times of the year in Cape Verde, and which usually lasts several days.
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