CYPRUS (DPA)
A thick cloud of dust from the Sahara is causing significant disruption to public life in Cyprus.
Schools have been particularly affected, with thousands of pupils and teachers spending the day in closed classrooms on Friday, the RIK radio station reported.
In recent days, the dust cloud has affected the Aegean Sea.
According to the civil protection authority, fine particulate matter concentrations across Cyprus are significantly above normal levels.
On Friday morning, extremely high levels of fine particulate matter were recorded in some areas: in Nicosia, the concentration was 1167.7 micrograms per cubic metre.
The international alert threshold is 50.
Authorities advise that outdoor work should be postponed until the phenomenon subsides.
According to the national meteorological service, the dust cloud is expected to continue until Saturday.