Orange Athens!

Parts of Greece looked like planet Mars due to the dust storm | AP

What?

Skies over southern Greece turned an orange hue on Tuesday. | AP

Why?

It was caused by dust clouds that blew across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa engulfed the Acropolis and other Athens landmarks. | AP

The result:

Strong southerly winds carried the dust from the Sahara Desert, giving the atmosphere of the Greek capital a Martian-like filter in the last hours of daylight. | AP

Consequence:

On Tuesday, the daily high in parts of the southern island of Crete topped 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), more than 20 degrees C higher than what was registered in much of northern Greece. | AP

Consequence:

The strong southerly winds over the past few days have also fanned unseasonal early wildfires in the country's south. | AP

Wildfire alerts:

The fire service said Tuesday evening that a total 25 wildfires broke out across the country in the past 24 hours. | AP

Tourists walk at the Lycabettus hill as the city of Athens with the ancient Acropolis hill is seen at the background. | AP

Unique phenomenon:

Strong southerly winds carried the dust from the Sahara Desert, as the clouds blown across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa and covered for one more day the Greek capital. | AP

African dust covers the Olympic stadium, background, and the suburbs of northern Athens, Greece. | AP