A striking photograph from Mdina has captured the unusual atmospheric conditions that covered Malta in a thick haze this week.
Photographer Marika Caruana photographed the glowing orange sun above St Paul’s Cathedral on Thursday evening, around half an hour before the actual sunset.
The dramatic scene coincided with a dense layer of Saharan dust over the Central Mediterranean. Malta’s Meteorological Office confirmed that the airborne dust originated over western Algeria on 25 August, with concentrations over the region peaking on Thursday.
Dust transforms Malta’s skies
The dust gave the sky its hazy appearance while also affecting air quality. Monitoring stations recorded poor to very poor conditions in parts of Malta as PM10 levels increased.
Caruana’s photograph captures the effect particularly clearly, with the orange sun appearing behind Mdina’s historic skyline before reaching the horizon.
The Meteorological Office said the dust layer also partially blocked direct solar radiation, limiting Thursday’s maximum temperature to 34.2°C. The airborne dust is expected to remain over the Central Mediterranean over the coming days before gradually moving eastwards from Wednesday.
Photo: Marika Caruana Photography
