Calima
The Calima (also Kalima ) is a weather situation with an easterly wind on the Canary Islands and on the Cape Verde Islands , which can be simply described as "sand wind from Africa" and corresponds to the Saharan dust events in Europe. Occasionally the Spanish name Bruma seca ("dry fog") is used.
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Monte Lentiscal under a clear sky and at Calima
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As a rule, the weather in the Canaries is determined by the trade wind, which blows from the northeast. With a calima, on the other hand, the wind from the Sahara with a south-easterly current brings dry, warm air and blows fine sand dust with it. The high pressure over the Sahara previously increases the temperature and reduces the humidity . The view is then slightly clouded, the light is refracted reddish, but the tendency to precipitation with the low humidity is very low. Problems can arise in air traffic: In February 2020, during a particularly violent calima, flight operations in the Canary Islands had to be suspended for two days. Due to the high dust content of the air, the hot, dry weather is not pleasant and easily irritates the respiratory organs.
Calima collapses can sometimes be very violent. B. Suddenly a strong storm set in on Tenerife and the air masses exchange. The temperature can also rise sharply at night, while at the same time the air humidity drops rapidly.
It is not unusual that at Calima all the cars parked outdoors, other objects and the streets are covered with fine ocher sand dust. Calima weather patterns can last for several weeks.
The Calima can cause severe damage to the vegetation due to the combination with strong wind and hot air. In the winter months it usually occurs with high wind speeds. The sky becomes hazy, the distance view gradually diminishes.
The calima is acute in altitudes up to 300 meters above sea level . At higher altitudes, the temperature drops significantly. The calima originates in the Sahel zone and also drives numerous swallows through the air like a play ball. They land on Fuerteventura because this Canary Island is the closest to their home, 800 km away, and there often die of exhaustion.
Since the hot desert wind quickly pushes any fire that is initially ignited in a controlled manner and thus gets it out of control, scarfing fields near Calima is grossly negligent arson.