A phenomenon known as ‘rain dust’ has stained cars a rusty brown in the Algarve, leaving car wash businesses rubbing their hands in delight.
“For those wondering why everything is painted brown this morning, especially in the Algarve, it is because we have a large quantity of dust from the African desert in the air, which coupled with some slight precipitation originated this ‘muddy rain’,” local meteorologist Bruno Gonçalves wrote on the Meteofontes Facebook page today (February 23).
“We recommend that you wait before washing your cars, as it is possible that your cars will be ‘painted’ again today,” he added.
Portugal’s sea and atmosphere institute (IPMA) says the dust was brought over due to a “depression in Morocco” which has affected the Canary Islands, Tunisia, the south of the Iberian Peninsula and the Madeira archipelago.
The dust is expected to remain in Portugal until tomorrow, it adds.
