By Dean Murray

A giant plume of Sahara Desert dust is hitting the United States.

The mass is over 2,000 miles wide and 750 miles long, and has reached and is spreading over Florida as of Wednesday (June 4).

The phenomenon is due to a two to 2.5-mile-thick layer of the atmosphere, called the Saharan Air Layer , crossing over the Atlantic Ocean.

Science agency NOAA has been closely monitoring the event from satellite, capturing detailed images that show the dust stretching from Africa, across the Atlantic, and toward the Caribbean and Florida.

Meteorologists say the dust can lead to hazy skies and vibrant sunsets, but can also temporarily suppress hurricane formation in the Atlantic.

While most of the dust remains high in the atmosphere , some may reach ground level, affecting

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