Special weather conditions

Sahara sand shrouds Pinzgau in cloud

Cloudy visibility on Saturday(Bild: EXPA/ JFK)

On Friday afternoon, thick Saharan sand covered large parts of Salzburg, especially Pinzgau, in a gray cloud. 

"In North Africa, the wind picks up everything that is dry, and if the current lasts long enough, it will reach us," an expert from GeoSphere Austria explained to the Krone newspaper.

The dust can also have a negative impact on health. "During foehn winds, a proportion of Saharan dust can reach the lower air layers and contribute to the concentration of particulate matter on the ground."