Why is the snow a shade of brown in Spain's normally pristine Sierra Nevada ski resort?

A radical change in the weather has left all kinds of destruction in the south of Spain this week. While some areas have suffered torrential rain and rivers have burst their banks, others have had snow and even a dusting of sand from the Sahara desert.

This was the case in the Sierra Nevada, which on Monday 28 October was covered with a white blanket. However, by Tuesday it had taken on a brown hue due to the arrival of 'calima' dust in suspension in the atmosphere.

It is not the first time this has happened. Andalucía's proximity to Africa and specifically to the Sahara, means that the region often experiences showers of 'mud' caused by the calima mixing with rain. The presence of this Saharan sand is more characteristic in summer but can occur at any time of year.

The calima is "already making a mess of the first snow in the Sierra Nevada", commented @Samuel_MR17 on X, a regular social media commentator on Granada province's weather.