ORLANDO, Fla. — NOAA sent a hurricane hunter 4,000 miles to research the Saharan dust off the west coast of Africa.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

Hurricane hunters track storm systems in the Gulf, the Caribbean, the Eastern and the Central Atlantic, but there’s one area they don’t normally go.

READ: Florida remembers devastation of Hurricane Andrew 30 years later

This month, for the first time, NOAA flew its G-IV hurricane hunter 4,000 miles to the Cabo Verde Islands, an area referred to as “Hurricane Nursery,” where storms are born.

They often develop from little ripples in the atmosphere, tropical waves, but there’s something out there that can stop it all: dry, dusty Saharan air.

READ: What is the Loop Current; will it make hurricane season worse this year?

See the full story in the video above.

Remembering Hurricane Andrew: How building codes have changed in 30 years (WFTV)

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2022 Cox Media Group