A Saharan dust plume is currently traveling 6,000 miles across the Atlantic and is expected to arrive on the Gulf Coast this weekend, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Weather experts say this annual southern phenomenon could lead to positive and negative impacts for southern residents.

Those with chronic respiratory diseases, asthma, or allergies may feel the effects of reduced air quality, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the NWS.

“Any particulate in the air, especially if it’s above 80 degrees…will lower air quality,” NWS Weather Prediction Center meteorologist David Roth told Newsweek.

“Usually, it won’t be unhealthy for the general population, but if you’re sensitive to a decrease in air quality, you should stay indoors.”

Roth said the dust can also make it feel hotter outside.

The strongest effects will take place further down in the Carribean, where people with weakened respiratory systems have been urged by the CDC to keep windows and doors closed, use air purifiers with HEPA filters, and wear masks if they have to be outside.

On the positive side, the dust can also help stabilize the atmosphere and suppress hurricane/thunderstorm activity, according to the NWS.

This could offer south Alabama residents a reprieve from the unusually rainy season the southeast has been having.

The minerals in the dust are also reported to cause particularly striking sunsets, according to the NWS.