The UK is poised for a spectacular display of vibrant skies and “blood rain” on Thursday, as Saharan dust drifts across the country, potentially ushering in the warmest day of the year so far.
The Met Office said that fine Saharan particles are being carried northwards across parts of Europe, towards Britain.
The particles are known to transform ordinary sunsets into breathtaking spectacles of orange and red hues, but also mix with rainfall to create a distinctive reddish residue.
Jim Dale, a senior meteorological observer at British Weather Services, said ‘blood rain’ is a “dramatic” title, explaining that, “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.”
Temperatures on Thursday could climb to 19C or even 20C, surpassing the previous 2026 high of 18.7C recorded at Kew Gardens last week.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “The London area is expected to be the warmest part of the country [on Wednesday] with temperatures in the high teens quite widely.”
Dr Claire Ryder, a professor at the University of Reading specialising in dust transport, said that the dust is carried to the UK by strong, warm southerly winds.
“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 suggested that the most impressive sunsets would be visible across the east of England on Thursday evening.
She said: “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.”
Looking ahead, much of England and Wales is forecast to experience cloudy conditions on Friday, though Ireland and Scotland are expected to enjoy sunnier weather, according to the Met Office.
Temperatures are also predicted to drop significantly, settling around 11C-12C across England and Wales.
The weekend will bring a mix of patchy cloud and some sunshine, with highs of 12C-13C on Saturday and 14C on Sunday.
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