Saharan dust could bring haze to Houston skies this weekend
HOUSTON - Possible record heat in Houston and now Saharan dust? Yes.
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This first image from NOAA's GOES-16 satellite shows a plume of dust also known as the SAL or Saharan Air Layer stretching for thousands of miles from the west coast of Africa all the way to the Caribbean.
It looks like some dust could bring the Houston area a bit of haze this weekend and possibly have a small effect on our air quality. If you are particularly sensitive to dust, spend most of your time indoors, and you'll be fine.
You'll want to stay in the air conditioning anyway since our high temperatures will rise to records or near records for the next 3-4 days.
MORE: Staying safe as Houston temperatures climb into the triple digits
In fact, Saturday could bring the hottest weather in 2-3 years for some locations - for example, the airport in Sugar Land hasn't measured a 100° reading since August 14th, 2019 (although 99° was hit several times).
Finally, protect yourself from the sun as the UV index will be rated at 11 which is extreme, so stay in the shade when possible and wear sunscreen when heading out.
MORE: Scorching temperatures raise concern for children left in cars
