A plume of dust from the Saharan Desert is expected to sweep across the Gulf Coast this week, bringing hazy skies and reduced air quality to millions from Texas to Florida.

A Saharan dust plume may cause enhanced sunsets and minor air quality issues, according to an AccuWeather expert.

The dust clouds form as a result of an atmospheric phenomenon known as the Saharan Air Layer. As the name suggests, they've made a long journey across the Atlantic Ocean from their North African birthplace in the Sahara,