A massive plume of dust the size of the US is set to drop buckets of mud from the sky on the entire Southeast.

The approaching dust cloud is coming from the Sahara Desert and was formed by strong winds sweeping tiny sand and mineral particles off the surface.

By Thursday, meteorologists are warning that the rain in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas could combine with the dust to create showers of 'dirty rain' throughout the region.

Officials in Puerto Rico have already warned residents of poor air quality as the dust swept over the Caribbean earlier this week. The Saharan cloud made landfall in Florida on Wednesday.

The AccuWeather team noted that most of the Saharan dust will likely remain thousands of feet high in the atmosphere, meaning it will have little impact on air quality at ground level.

However, experts warn that as some dust travels lower in the air, it can make breathing difficult, especially for people with asthma, allergies, or other respiratory issues, because it carries fine particles that can irritate the lungs.

While these dust plumes sweeping across the Atlantic from Africa are common, especially in June and July, this one is much larger than usual.

AccuWeather's lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said: 'This is the biggest Saharan dust plume that we've seen so far this year.'

This year's plume is different as it's earlier, denser, and more concentrated, with higher levels of fine particles. 

As a result, health officials and meteorologists are keeping a close eye on its impact.

The size and intensity of these clouds vary from year to year, but scientists believe shifting wind patterns and climate change may be contributing to more frequent and powerful plumes.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has estimated that over 180 million tons of dust leaves Africa every year.

It results in extremely dry air that local reduces thunderstorm activity in the US and cuts down on the formation of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic.

If the forecasted storms in the Southeast this week overcome that dry air, it will likely mean several days of a 'muddy mix' falling from the sky.

Meteorologists said that flash flooding and thunderstorms are expected throughout Florida all night on Wednesday.

A slow-moving storm system will collide with the dust cloud Thursday as it moves beyond Florida, potentially bringing dust-filled showers to millions along the East Coast.

At the same time, another massive plume is making its way down from Canada, filling most of the Eastern and Central US with dangerous wildfire smoke.

AccuWeather has warned that air quality has already reached hazardous to dangerous levels in parts of the Dakotas, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.

Forecasters are also warning that New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and most of New England will experience reduced air quality as the haze from the wildfires moves east.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said many Americans will only see the smoke cause dimmer sunsets and hazy skies, but there will still be cases where it travels closer to the ground and triggers serious breathing issues.

'There will be episodes where the smoke can reach the lower levels of the atmosphere and affect visibility and air quality,' Buckingham explained.

'That could be a safety concern for travel in extreme cases and pose health problems for some individuals with respiratory issues,' he added.

The smoke is traveling east from massive forest fires in western Canadian provinces like Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.

The scenes playing out this week in the northern US are similar to the apocalyptic sight across the East Coast in 2023, when Canadian wildfires turned the sky orange and shrouded entire city skylines.

In the South, the effect of the Saharan dust cloud will have a similar impact on local skies, creating hazy skies and colorful sunrises and sunsets.

People in Florida will start to see these sights starting Wednesday, with millions across the Southeast and Gulf seeing the dust-filled skies by Friday.

As for the wildfire smoke in the northern half of the country, rain moving into the Upper Midwest will likely bring the smell of smoke right to people's noses, especially in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

AccuWeather explained that rainfall can bring the smell of wildfire smoke down to ground level, so people standing outside when it rains will notice the odor more.

However, the rainfall will also help to cleanse the air of the smoky particles and improve overall air quality in the region.

Throughout the rest of summer 2025, meteorologists are expecting northern states like Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington to experience the worst air quality due to the ongoing Canadian wildfires.