How is Saharan dust in the air changing Miami’s weather? You’ll feel it several ways

A plume of Saharan dust is rolling into South Florida Thursday, with the forecast calling for a hazy and hot day. The rain chance isn’t high, but the allergy chance is.

With the forecast calling for a 10% chance of rain in South Florida, Thursday could be “one of the driest days on record for the season,” said Shaun Bhatti, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Miami.

It’ll also be hot, with Miami-Dade and Broward forecast to see a high of 92. The heat index — how hot it feels — could be as high as 100, according to the weather service. If you’re planning to be outside, remember to drink lots of water and wear sunscreen.

While the heat won’t be going away anytime soon — it’s summer after all — the rain is expected to return Friday for our regularly scheduled summer programming. The forecast is calling for a 50% chance of rain in Miami-Dade and a 40% chance of rain in Broward. There’s also a chance of showers this weekend, though with a 30-40% rain chance, it won’t be too bad.

So, what exactly does Saharan dust do? Here’s what to expect:

▪ The extremely dry and dusty air mass that emerged over the coast of Africa and traveled thousands of miles across the Atlantic to South Florida is helping to reduce the region’s rain chances.

▪ All is quiet in the tropics, with no systems being tracked in the Atlantic. Hopefully, it stays that way — Saharan dust can help suppress tropical cyclone formation and intensification, according to the National Weather Service and NOAA.

▪ Saharan dust usually brings beautiful sunsets. Get ready for #SunsetsinMiami Instagram posts.

▪ The bad news: Saharan dust can irritate people’s eyes, ears, noses and throats. If you have allergies or health issues like asthma or COPD you may want to stay indoors and take your allergy medication. And those COVID face masks in your drawer may come in handy.

Miami Herald staff writer Howard Cohen contributed to this report.