The Greek island of Crete has been cloaked in a choking Saharan dust storm as violent winds and a tornado battered the region, forcing Easter holiday flights from the UK to divert and turning the sky an eerie red-orange.
Travel chaos unfolded as thick African dust smothered visibility, grounding aircraft and disrupting arrivals at Heraklion’s main airport.
At least two flights were forced to divert after visibility dropped to around 1,000 metres, a level considered unsafe for landing.
A British Airways service from London was rerouted to Corfu, while a SKY Express flight from Brussels was sent to Athens.
Air travel across the island remains under pressure as the dense dust cloud continues to hang over Crete, causing delays and operational disruption.
Dramatic scenes were also reported on the ground, where a powerful tornado flipped a truck in the coastal area of Pachia Ammos as it prepared to load agricultural exports.
The violent weather also uprooted trees, damaged greenhouses and caused part of a wall at a ceramics factory to collapse.
In Ierapetra, huge waves surged into the first houses along the old town, as strong southerly winds whipped up dangerous coastal conditions.
Across Heraklion, the landscape has been transformed into something resembling the Sahara, with a thick veil of dust almost completely obscuring the port.
The air has turned suffocating, with extremely high concentrations of dust particles making conditions hazardous, particularly for vulnerable residents.
In Chania, light rain has mixed with the dust to create a layer of mud coating homes, cars and streets, as visibility dropped sharply across the city.
Air quality readings have plunged into the ‘very poor’ category, with particle pollution far exceeding safe limits, according to regional monitoring stations.
Meteorologists say dust levels have surged to more than 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre, an exceptionally high concentration, with conditions expected to ease slightly later in the day.
However, forecasters have warned that another wave of Saharan dust could hit the island as early as Thursday.
Authorities have urged residents and tourists to avoid unnecessary travel, remain indoors where possible and take care on the roads as the extreme weather continues to grip the island.
