Dust Haze Advisory continues in Barbados, BMS updates

The Dust Haze advisory has been continued for Barbados due to the increase of Saharan dust in the air. Due to such conditions, the air quality has reached an ‘Unhealthy level.’ The Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS) advised citizens to take necessary precautions.

The people of sensitive groups such as older age adults, children, pregnant women and those suffering from respiratory illnesses such as asthma and sinuses are at high. The authorities urged them to avoid getting out of their homes.

It has been noted that a layer of slight dust haze will be visible across the island on Tuesday as BMS announced a ‘Yellow Alert’ for the island. The Saharan Dust has adverse impacts on people’s health.

Therefore, citizens are suggested to follow precautionary measures to avoid the issues that arise with the dust. Some of the measures are as follows,

• Wear face masks and dust masks whenever going outside
• Avoid being at crowded places as it will higher the risks of illness
• Wash hands properly before eating anything or drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
• Clean surfaces and maintain proper hygiene
• Seek professional advice in case of difficulty in breathing or if the illness worsens.

Special attention should be given to patients with chronic lung disease, heart disease, allergies and pneumonia. Due to the dust haze, there is a possibility that some people may feel itching of the throat, cough, watery and sore eyes, and frequent sneezing leads to runny nose and shortness of breath.

As per the weather reports, Barbados may experience partly cloudy weather with a few brief isolated light showers. The Atlantic high-pressure system will remain the dominant feature.

The winds are forecasted to be gentle east-north easterly to easterly breeze from 20 to 30 km/hour, which is equal to 12 to 19 mph and can be increasing across the Barbados.

Marine swells are noted to remain smooth to moderate in open water, with swells ranging from 1.0 to 2.0 meters and increasing.