The sky turned orange in parts of southern Europe as some areas were covered with sand and dust brought by strong winds from the Sahara desert in Africa.

Meteorologists say the phenomenon occurs every year, but this time the Sahara winds were stronger than normal.

The infiltration of desert grit even turned local snow sandy.

In Lyon, France, people also were mesmerized by the views of the Sahara sand colors taking over the city.

A photo from NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System shows the flow of the Saharan dust traveling across the Mediterranean Sea into Europe.