Satellite view of the Pyrenees on Saturday February 6, 2021. -
Copernicus - European Union - Twitter account
Nothing to do with the thin film of sand that usually clogs windshields.
The meteorological phenomenon of the Sahara rain which affected part of France on Saturday February 7 due to an upwelling of hot air from North Africa gave impressive images, in particular in the white Pyrenees which covered their pink coat (or brown if you are resistant to poetry).
As proof of the scale of the phenomenon, the satellite images posted this Sunday from Copernicus, the European Union's Earth observation program.
As in the worst scenarios of global warming, the Ariège Pyrenees natural park takes on the appearance of a Nevada desert.
Closer to the ground, skiers happily descended ocher slopes, hikers had fun leaving white footprints in orange powder.
The best videos, compiled in particular on the essential Météos Pyrénées twitter account, have reached tens of thousands of views.
Researchers need you
The event is so rare that researchers from the Center for Space and Biosphere Studies (Cesbios - CNRS) call on Sunday hikers to collect samples for them, in the Pyrenees as in the Alps.
The idea is to quantify the amount of sand dropped per square meter.
So, if you're planning on getting some fresh air, don't forget your freezer bag and DIY milk carton or empty jam jar.
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