Allergies Worse This Year? African Dust Might Be The Cause

Yes here in Texas, African dust is being blamed for hazy skies and worsening allergy symptoms. The dust has been caught up in air currents according to KCBD news.

South Texas was first to be affected but the dust has been creeping our way. This is not the first year this has happened. In fact, it's common to see this air current from Africa bring in dust at this time of year according to KCBD and other news reports.

For this Sunday August 6th the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality posted this report on their website.

'The main African dust cloud is expected to arrive early in the day and spread rapidly inland, eventually impacting parts of South, Central, Southeast, then North Central Texas over the course of the day. The duration and intensity of the dust is expected to raise the daily PM2.5 AQI into the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Brownsville-McAllen, and San Antonio areas. While isolated "Moderate" levels cannot be ruled out elsewhere in this region, scattered precipitation and/or limited duration across the majority of remaining locations should help keep the AQI at the upper end of the "Good" range overall.'

Further reports show that we have been affected through out the month of July as well. KXAN News reports that the the African dust settles near the ground and can affect you with intensified allergy and respiratory symptoms.

I've had an unusually scratchy throat and thought I might possibly be fighting a cold but now I guess I can blame it on African dust! If you've been struggling with allergy symptoms, now you know there's more than West Texas dust in the air to blame!

If you have more severe respiratory concerns take heed and be safe... watch air quality reports and take care!