Sahara dust chokes Senegal's capital, disrupts fishing

Fishermen are pictured on their pirogue as dust carried by winds from the Sahara Desert shrouds Dakar, Senegal February 18, 2021. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

DAKAR (Reuters) - A cloud of dust brought by dry winds from the Sahara has settled over much of West and Central Africa, reducing visibility, choking residents, and disrupting fishing in the Senegal's capital Dakar.

Each year, dry, dusty winds sweep in from the Sahara and cover much of West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. The yearly phenomenon, known as the Harmattan season, runs from November through March.