The Met Office said Saharan dust is being blown north across parts of Europe and towards Britain
Saharan dust and “blood rain” are expected to bring colourful skies to the UK on Thursday on what could be the warmest day of the year so far. The Met Office said Saharan dust is being blown north across parts of Europe and towards Britain.
Temperatures on Thursday could reach 19C or 20C, which would beat the previous 2026 high of 18.7C recorded in Kew Gardens last week. A Met Office spokesperson said: “The London area is expected to be the warmest part of the country today with temperatures in the high teens quite widely.”
The Saharan particles in the atmosphere transform ordinary sunsets into vibrant displays of oranges and reds, but also mix with rain to produce a red residue. Sunset today is around 5.45pm – meaning in the period 5.15 – 5.45pm will probably have the best show.
Jim Dale, senior meteorological observer at British Weather Services, said: “Blood rain is a dramatic title. There is no blood involved at all, it is the colour.
“Saharan dust is very fine sand particles off the Sahara desert which get lifted by the wind. “The dust of the sand comes down, joins with raindrops and it leaves a film of sand or dust that is red/brown coloured on surfaces such as cars.”
Claire Ryder, a professor at the University of Reading who specialises in dust transport, explained the dust is brought over to the UK by strong, warm winds coming from the south.
“The dust particles are smaller than a grain of hair and can stay in the air for a long time,” she said. “They will slowly be settling but they can also be taken out of the atmosphere by rainfall and clouds.”
Dr Ryder believes the best sunsets will be across the east of England on Thursday evening. She added: “The peak dust concentration is through tonight and it is going to get much more severe through the night and into tomorrow.
“Tomorrow, skies will be less visible as it is more cloudy so the best chance to see a great sunset is this evening.”
Clouds are expected across much of England and Wales on Friday, although Ireland and Scotland should enjoy sunny weather, according to the Met Office.
Temperatures will also drop to around 11C-12C across England and Wales on Friday.
The weekend will be a mix of patchy cloud and some sunshine, with high temperatures of 12C-13C on Saturday and 14C on Sunday.