“Pretty, pretty Saharan dust…” Netizens debate what actually caused the dust on cars

“In Riga and other places in the central part of Latvia, where it rained today, the sand of the famous Sahara came to the ground together with the rain,” writes weather expert Toms Bricis on the social network site “X” this afternoon, sharing a video that proves it.

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The video shows a woman’s car getting really dirty. “Well, the Sahara dust is beautiful, beautiful! No, it’s fantastic! Charming, very beautiful. It is a beautiful, clean car, yes. Sahara dust, yes,” says the author of the video, using her finger to remove a layer of dust from the surface of her car.

This video is also commented on by other users of the social network “X”.

“It is rather the famous sand of Riga. There are more than the Sahara,” someone writes.

Another adds: “It’s Sahara gold. It should be wiped and put in the wallet.”

“Riga’s sand behaves exactly the same,” says a Riga resident. Another adds to her: “Oh yes, you could see it perfectly on the car!”

“Local Sahara dust,” laughs Dean. Someone knows to say: “In Spain it happens every year. Good business for pool cleaners.”

“Definitely. The roads of Riga are covered with Sahara sand every spring, which cannot be swept away. And in winter there is Arctic snow that does not want to be shoveled. We believe,” comments one man.

Roland writes: “Before we blame the Sahara, let’s look at the cleanliness of the roadways and sidewalks. The air in Riga is not supposed to be free of PM10 pollution. The car is just as dirty after leaving Krasta Street or Vienības Street. Riga city council will know why it is necessary.”

Una agrees with the author of the video: “I washed the car so beautifully yesterday. It was a pleasure to watch and it still rained in the morning, but… when I got home from work… My car was dirty. And really like the sands of the Sahara.”

“It’s unlikely that someone will scare me with Sahara sand, in Riga in summer and winter I breathe mercury from car exhausts on the streets and I don’t feel any special poisoning,” a man comments on what he saw in the video.

Betons writes clearly and brightly: “Riga City Council will now have an excuse for sandy streets. It will be said that all the sand had already been swept away, the money had been spent, and here, as if from a clear sky, the Sahara desert fell on an absolutely unprepared Riga.”

“There is, there is… The car was washed yesterday,” says Inga, who shared a video showing her car covered in dust.

“In Kurzeme, where it rained more thoroughly, if they were there, they were quickly washed away, because the rain was stronger,” Toms Bricis added, sharing the same video on Facebook.

The topic of Sahara dust was also popular on the Facebook social network. Several people have shared their videos there.

It has already been reported that the air quality in Riga has become very bad this morning, according to operational information of the Latvian Center for Environment, Geology and Meteorology.

The concentration of suspended solid particles PM10, or dust with a diameter of up to 10 micrometers, reached 187 micrograms per cubic meter on Kronvalda Boulevard and 237 micrograms per cubic meter on Krišjāņa Valdemāra Street at nine in the morning.

Air quality becomes poor when this indicator exceeds 50, and particularly poor when the daily average concentration of PM10 exceeds 150 micrograms per cubic meter.

Air quality is poor in most parts of Latvia, especially in cities.

The situation will improve as the wind shifts from the west, south-west, bringing cooler and cleaner air. In the capital, it will take place on Tuesday afternoon or, at the latest, in the evening.

As the air quality is particularly bad, residents should reduce physical outdoor activities, while sensitive population groups should avoid them completely.

According to the assessment of the World Health Organization, air pollution is the fourth biggest risk to health, after high blood pressure, unhealthy diet and smoking.

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