Saharan Dust, Drier Air Lead To Calmer Weather Conditions Through End Of The Month

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - After a record start to the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, we will be taking a break for the next few days.

Tropical Storm Elsa, which formed on July 1, became the earliest-forming fifth named storm on record over the Atlantic Ocean.

Thankfully it looks like the end of July will be a little calmer than the start of the month thanks to a large area of dry air moving over the Atlantic Ocean over the next few days. A large plume of Saharan Dust is currently over much of the Eastern Atlantic and forecast to continue moving west over the next week, possibly even making it to parts of South Florida.

In addition to the dusty dry air over the tropical Atlantic, the water itself is cooler than normal. The main development region has sea surface temperatures around normal or even slightly below. Cooler water and dry air should keep the tropics mostly quiet over the next week.

The Saharan dust season typically runs through July so the current plume moving our way is not uncommon. Showers and storms are still possible here in South Florida this week but these conditions in the tropics should keep things quiet there. Towards the end of the week, you may notice a little haze in the sky here.