A heavy band of rain could see a Saharan dust cloud rain down on Ireland today and tonight as showers sweep across country.
Met Eireann have forecast patches of rain or drizzle during the day before 'heavy' rain develops in the west of Ireland on Tuesday evening and extend eastwards overnight.
The strange phenomenon could leave cars covered in dust on Wednesday morning due to ‘blood rain’, which is a term used when red-coloured rain falls from the sky.
READ MORE: Rare ‘blood rain’ weather could hit Ireland as huge Saharan dust storm to sweep across country
Independent Irish forecaster Alan O’Reilly shared an update on his Carlow Weather Twitter account on Monday night, writing: "A few showers tonight and tomorrow before a heavy band of rain arrives in the West tomorrow evening and moves across the county. Those showers will bring down the Saharan dust too!"
He predicted yesterday that there is "plenty of Saharan dust" moving over the country with rain bringing it down to lower levels.
And Met Eireann's forecast for Tuesday reads: “Mostly cloudy this morning with patches of rain or drizzle along with hill mist. Becoming mostly dry for the afternoon and some sunny spells will develop. However, patchy rain or drizzle will continue to affect some southern coasts and hills.
"Highest temperatures generally ranging 12C to 15C in moderate to fresh southerly winds, strong on Atlantic coasts.
"Rain will develop in Atlantic coastal counties before midnight and will then extend gradually eastwards across the country overnight."
The Saharan dust cloud, as its name suggests, comes from the Sahara desert, and happens when strong winds blow from south-southwest towards north-northeast, kicking up dust and carrying it in gusts upwards across the continent of Europe.
According to the UK’s Met Office: “Blood rain is not actually a meteorological or scientific term - instead it's a colloquial phrase which can be found going a fair way back in history.
“The forces that drive our weather can be quite powerful and do some surprising things - including lifting things like sand or even small objects and transporting them large distances.
“In the case of blood rain, strong winds or storms can whip up dust and sand. As this becomes airborne it can get caught up in atmospheric circulation, where it can be carried for thousands of miles.
“Eventually the dust will either fall out of the sky due to gravity or will be caught up in rain clouds, where it mixes with the water droplets. When these fall as rain the raindrops could appear red.”
The forecasters added that proper ‘blood rain’ is a relatively rare event as extremely high concentrations of dust particles are needed in the rain.
However in 2001 in the southern Indian state of Kerala, monsoon rains periodically fell with a red colour which was dark enough to stain clothes.
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