Reuters: Greece's Crete island covered in orange African dust

[1/13]A man protects himself with a face mask as he walks amid a haze caused by sand dust from the Sahara, due to strong southern winds, in Heraklion, Crete island, April 1. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Heraklion, GREECE

13 Photos

April 1, 2026

The skies over the island of Crete in Greece were draped in an orange hue on Wednesday after being blanketed by a haze of dust that swept in from the African continent.


[2/13]A woman walks her dog amid a haze caused by sand dust from the Sahara, due to strong southern winds, in Heraklion, Crete island, April 1. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Heraklion, GREECE


[3/13]People walk amid a haze caused by sand dust from the Sahara, due to strong southern winds, in Heraklion, Crete island, April 1. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Heraklion, GREECE


[4/13]Sculptures of dinosaurs stand among the haze outside the Natural History Museum of Crete, in Heraklion, Crete island, April 1. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Heraklion, GREECE


[5/13]A view of the city amid a haze caused by sand dust from the Sahara, due to strong southern winds, in Heraklion, Crete island, April 1. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Heraklion, GREECE


[6/13]A woman protects herself with a face mask while walking in a haze caused by sand dust from the Sahara, in Heraklion, Crete island, April 1. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Heraklion, GREECE


[7/13]Birds perch on a tree in the city amid a haze in Heraklion, Crete island, April 1. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Heraklion, GREECE

[8/13] A woman takes pictures of the horizon turned yellow, caused by sand dust from the Sahara, in Heraklion, Crete island, Greece, April 1. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab 

Heraklion, GREECE

[9/13]People walk amid a haze caused by sand dust from the Sahara, in Heraklion, Crete island, April 1. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Heraklion, GREECE


[10/13]A view of the port of the city amid a haze caused by sand dust from the Sahara, in Heraklion, Crete island, April 1. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Heraklion, GREECE


[11/13]A view of the city amid a haze caused by sand dust from the Sahara, in Heraklion, Crete island, April 1. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Heraklion, GREECE


[12/13]A woman walks in the haze caused by sand dust from the Sahara, due to strong southern winds, in Heraklion, Crete island, April 1, 2026. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Heraklion, GREECE


[13/13]People walk in a haze, caused by sand dust from the Sahara, in Heraklion, Crete island, Greece, April 1. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
HERAKLION, GREECE