Meet Wynd – a small consumer air purifier and PM2.5 sensor.
We’ve been testing it out with the Sahara dust over the last few months and it has been reasonably accurate – following the trends in the particulate count predicted on the Windy app and those reported by the Met offices in Martinique, Guadeloup, and Puerto Rico.
For most of the past few months, we have had many days where Wynd has measured moderate to unhealthy levels of PM2.5 due to the increased dust. Â Sahara dust can be an irritant to sensitive individuals or those with Asthma and other lung issues.
St maarten has a poorly managed garbage dump in the great salt pond, bordering it’s capital, Philipsburg. On the 7th of August 2018 the St Maarten garbage dump erupted into flames once again.  What made this fire unique was low winds, low levels of Sahara dust, and dry clear weather – all good circumstances for comparing the PM2.5 levels in various areas.
Screenshots from the Wynd app:
Guana Bay / Sucker Garden Rd – SMMC Cay Hill – ACE Cole Bay. This is not standing in the actual cloud of smoke, but the scent of the acrid smoke is detectable.
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