Harmattan

The Harmattan season is in full swing in Lagos.  Harmattan is when the sands of the Sahara blow across West Africa, leaving particles in the air which create a desert-like atmosphere.  The sun is blocked so temperatures drop, along with the humidity.  It supposedly prevents cloud formation, so no rain either.

We’ve had some really cool temperatures this past week.  Monday it was about 21 C, with a very cool breeze blowing most of the day.  While we expats are enjoying the cooler temperatures, the locals aren’t quite so happy.  The guards are bundled up in coats and hats at night, and our driver has been wearing a coat to work the past few days!

There are a few drawbacks for the expats as well.  The air quality is very poor and causes allergy-like symptoms for many people.  Sniffly nose, coughing, difficulty breathing…  We are now cleaning out our air conditioning filters weekly, and boy are they a mess!  I’d love to be able to turn off the air and open the windows, but then the dust would be that much worse inside!  As it is, surfaces need to be dusted daily (often a few times throughout the day), and floors need to be washed at least once per day.  Apparently it is much worse in the northern part of the country.

The Harmattan season begins in December and lasts until sometime in late February, early March.  We will continue to enjoy the cooler temperatures, though we may not be swimming as often, as the pool is quite chilly!

You can barely see the sun in the sky, above the flats.

These two photos were taken a few minutes ago.  The buildings are disappearing!

The cooler temperatures make it more enjoyable to sit outside in the afternoon.  Here we are enjoying Friday afternoon with Mark and Lisa.

The kiddos were inside having their own Fun Friday!

The tomato plants are enjoying the cooler temperatures too!

By the time I’d finished writing my blog and posting, the buildings beyond the flats had disappeared, and the buildings across the field were barely visible!