Desert dust over Austria

Between 27 and 29 August 2026, considerable amounts of desert dust were present over Austria. The tiny particles had travelled thousands of kilometres and originated in the Sahara.

A concentration of over 400 µg/m³ was measured at the Sonnblick Observatory. The desert dust has also mixed into the lower atmosphere, resulting in levels of over 150 µg/m³ of particulate matter being recorded in Bludenz and Feldkirch at around 2 am.

Particulate matter concentrations in western Austria remain between 50 and 100 µg/m³, which is above the current limit value for the daily average concentration of particulate matter.

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