THE SKY today turned orange as a Saharan dust bomb hit Europe – with the Met Office predicting it may cause "blood rain".
With parts of London already seeing orange skies, the Met Office said the dust cloud, which is 2km above ground level, may fall during showers in southern parts of the country in the afternoon.
Known as Storm Celia, Met Office forecasters say the impact is “unlikely” to be significant, with the dust potentially most visible at sunset.
An urgent warning has also been issued to millions as dust particles in the air could trigger deadly health emergencies for Brits, after the murky skies swept over Europe.
Read our weather live blog for the latest news and forecasts…
- Joseph Gamp
Clear skies for many this evening
The MEt Office says the band of rain and wind is pushing away.
It will leave skies clear overnight- but means temperatures will feel even more chilly.
The warnings come as the weather is predicted to heat up from tomorrow, with highs of around 16C/17C expected.
- Joseph Gamp
Why is the sky yellow and the sun red?
According to the Met Office, sunsets are often red or orange because they are lower in the sky, therefore sunlight must travel through a thicker layer of the atmosphere before it is scattered, deflected, and seen by the human eye.
This means there is more yellow and red left to see.
In the case of Storm Celia, strong winds carried dust over to Spain from the Sahara desert, causing reduced visibility and orange tones in the sky.
Red dust can have an adverse impact on health, leading to respiratory and cardiac issues if inhaled – and can be especially harmful to people with asthma.
- Joseph Gamp
How did Hurricane Ophelia cause the sky to turn yellow?
Back in October 2017, the sky in Britain similarly turned yellow and the sun turned red as a result of Hurricane Ophelia.
The deadly storm killed three people when it pulled Saharan dust up to the UK, creating a blanket of orange cloud with its deadly 80mph winds
Hurricane Ophelia created an eerie glow, red sun, and left a thick layer of dust behind it.
The storm led to fears of an apocalypse, and widespread health concerns for those with breathing difficulties and the elderly.
At the time, Met Office forecaster Grahame Madge said: “It’s all connected with Ophelia, on the eastern side of the low pressure system air is coming up in the southern direction.
“Air is being pulled from southern Europe and Africa and that air contains a lot of dust.
“So it’s most likely the appearance of sunset at midday is caused by the particles scattering the light and giving the appearance of a red sun.”
In the UK, up to 120,000 homes were without power, schools were closed, and bridges were shut as a result of falling trees and debris caused by Hurricane Ophelia.
- Joseph Gamp
Weather outlook for Friday to Sunday
Showers in the far north clear early Friday.
Some night frost and fog elsewhere, but then all areas dry and increasingly sunny.
Perhaps cloudier with a few showers Sunday.
- Joseph Gamp
Met Office promises plenty of spring sunshine this weekend
It may be a damp and wet day for many across the UK, but things will look a lot brighter on the weekend.
The Met Office tweeted: "Looking ahead to the weekend?
"There will be plenty of warm spring sunshine, especially on Saturday."
- Joseph Gamp
'No significant impacts from Storm Celia dust cloud' says Met Office
Met Office meteorologist Richard Miles told the PA News Agency: "Storm Celia over Spain is indeed pulling a dust cloud up from the Sahara, which could potentially reach as far as the south of the UK.
"However, we don’t expect significant impacts – the most likely would be on the cloudscapes at sunset but, as conditions are likely to be generally overcast and wet for much of the day, this is unlikely to amount to much.
"There are no air-quality warnings," he said.
"People in the south might find a bit of dust left on their cars as the rain washes it out of the skies today."
- Joseph Gamp
Why Thunderstorms can trigger asthma attacks
Asthma UK said there are two reasons that thunderstorms can trigger asthma attacks.
They explained: "The air before a storm can feel very humid and close. Some people tell us this gives them a tight chest and a cough, and that they find it harder to breathe.
"During pollen season, the windy conditions during a thunderstorm blow lots of pollen high into the air.
"The moisture higher up in the air breaks the pollen into much smaller pieces.
"As these smaller pieces of pollen particles then settle back down, they can be breathed in, irritating the smaller airways of the lungs", they added.
- Joseph Gamp
In pictures: Saharan dust cloud turns sky orange
Brits have shared extraordinary images of their cars and homes being covered in the rusty Saharan dust in the South East of England.
Southern Spain and France have already been tinted with the coral coating after the dust was dragged up from the African continent.
It has been propelled across by gusty gales brought about by Storm Celia and showers are set to expel it from the skies today.
Although forecasters predict the impact is unlikely to be significant, vulnerable Brits have been warned to remain vigilant.
- Joseph Gamp
Wettest day of the week for many says Met Office
The Met Office says today is the wettest day of the week.
However, a springtime burst of sunshine is set to bring highs of around 16C-17C from tomorrow across the country.
The weather agency tweeted: "It's the wettest day of the week with rain for many, heaviest in the southeast.
"Northern Ireland and western Scotland will have the best of the sunshine this afternoon, albeit with a few showers."
- Milica Cosic
Thank you for reading my coverage this morning.
My colleague Joe Gamp is now logging on and will be bringing you the latest until 10pm tonight.
- Milica Cosic
'Blood rain' later this evening
THE SKY has turned orange as a Sahara dust bomb hit Europe today – and may cause "blood rain".
With parts of London already seeing orange skies, the Met Office has said the dust cloud, which is 2km above ground level, may fall during showers in southern parts of the country in the afternoon.
Known as Storm Celia, Met Office forecasters say the impact is “unlikely” to be significant, with the dust potentially most visible at sunset.
- Milica Cosic
Explained: Why is the sky orange today?
Hot air in the Sahara desert has lead to dust being dumped across the Mediterranean and now parts of the UK.
It comes as parts of southern Spain have been blanketed following a thick plume which has turned skies orange.
Paris was among the cities in France affected by dust, leaving the city's 18th arrondissement "covered with a fine layer of orange residue".
- Milica Cosic
Tonight’s weather
Rain across England will slowly clear from the west during the evening but will be locally heavy and persistent.
Overnight will be mostly dry with long clear spells however patches of mist will form, mostly in the north and west.
Spells of rain will edge into the far north-west by dawn.
- Milica Cosic
UK weather outlook for Friday and Saturday
Early patches of mist will soon lift and clear on Friday to leave a fine day as it will be dry with lots of sunshine and just some patchy cloud cover.
On Saturday any early mist and fog will soon clear to leave another fine day as it will be dry with lots of sunshine and blue skies around.
- Milica Cosic
Tomorrow's forecast (Thursday)
A fine day as it will be dry with long spells of spring sunshine for most areas although variable amounts of cloud cover will tend to build into northern and western areas.
Outbreaks of rain and scattered showers will spread across Northern Ireland and Scotland and may be locally heavy at times.
- Milica Cosic
Top tips if storms trigger your asthma
If storms make your asthma worse, then there are things you can do to prevent an attack.
- take your preventer inhaler regularly
- carry your reliever inhaler
- go for regular asthma reviews
- book an extra appointment with your doctor or nurse if you notice you're using your inhalers more
- try and stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed to avoid letting the dust in
- take usual treatments such as antihistamines
BREAKING: Urgent health warning as orange skies hit parts of UK
AN urgent warning has been issued to millions as orange Saharan dust hits parts of the UK today.
Dust particles in the air could trigger deadly health emergencies for Brits, after the murky skies swept over Europe.
The Met Office tweeted this morning: "We can see the #SaharanDust that has pushed across Spain and France, into southeast England.
"Whilst this #dust is mostly about 2km above ground level, some deposits may fall to the ground, especially during today's rain in southern parts of the UK."
Studies have show that dust storms have a significant impact on health.
Dust storms are a source of natural particles, including very small materials, potential allergens, and pollutants and can be dangerous for people with lung conditions such as asthma and other allergies.
Rules for cyclists looking to enjoy the sunshine this Spring
With the weather set to warm up in the coming weeks, cyclists are ready to get out on their bikes and make the most of the sunshine.
Bobbin Bikes encourage cyclists to make themselves fully aware of what they can and can’t do on the roads.
Road rules for cyclists to stay safe this spring:
- Hand signals – Using hand signals is important for cyclists to communicate their intent to motorists behind them.
- Clothing – Cyclists should always wear a protective helmet that conforms to current regulations, is the correct size, and is securely fastened. Light coloured, fluorescent clothing is best to wear whilst cycling in winter or darker days, and reflective clothing and accessories should be worn in the dark.
- Lights – All cycles must have front, and rear lights lit up at night. All bikes must also be fitted with red rear reflectors.
- Cycle lanes – Dedicated cycle lanes are marked by a white line, which may be solid or broken. Cyclists must stick to cycle lanes when able to.
- Parking – Bicycles must not be left in any place that can cause obstruction or hazard to other road users.
It’s set to be a warm Summer so here’s how to stay safe against UV
As climate change begins to make more of an effect, it’s important to be aware of UV rays.
Sunburn occurs when the skin is exposed to UV rays from the sun, but can also be from sunbeds.
Extreme sunburn can be very serious and even mild sunburn may not heal properly leading to aged skin and eventually skin cancer.
The Met Office advises sunscreen and avoiding excess exposure to UV rays.
Weather outlook for today
Northwest corner bright and fresh-feeling, scattered heavy showers later.
Elsewhere often cloudy, showery rain turning heavier across some eastern areas.
A few brighter, warmer spells, perhaps focused in southwestern areas.
Sunshine and dry weather for the rest of the week
For this week it will be quite pleasant said BBC Weather's Tomasz Schafernaker with sunshine and dry weather.
“In the south where the winds will be light the temperatures will be around the mid-teens. Then Thursday and Friday the high pressure establishes itself across the UK, in fact a big high pressure spreading all the way from Eastern Europe to the edge of Ireland so a lot of settled weather," said Mr Schafernaker.
"You can see the winds blowing around the high here. Northern and western parts of the country right in the middle of that high where the weather will be sunniest, the winds will be lightest and as a result will have the highest temperatures around 15C or 16C.
"And that high pressure is expected to persist Friday, Saturday and into Sunday as well although it will be a little breezy at times."
Mr Schafernaker continued: "Highest temperatures will be 16C for example Liverpool but on the coast of Cornwall and Devon it could only be about 12C. Then Saturday into Sunday that high pressure still with us.
"The winds will change direction a little around the high, they will be coming more out of the south and south east that generally means a lot of dry weather, fairly decent temperatures."
- Milica Cosic
Good morning! Milica Cosic logging in from London to bring you the latest news and updates on the UK weather
- Milica Cosic
Fine and sunny in the UK from midweek, says expert
Ex-BBC and Met Office forecaster John Hammond of weathertrending said: “Spring will be in the air, with a gentle breeze from the warming continent and temperatures rising through the teens.
Wet weather will give way to sunshine, with a drier and warmer trend through mid-March.”
A Met Office forecaster added: “After the North-West's rain spreads on Wednesday, it looks fine and sunny from Thursday for the UK.
“From then to late March has temperatures mild to very mild for most, with dry conditions, although it may be chilly should winds tap into colder air across eastern Europe.”
- Milica Cosic
Some rain tday for the west of NI, Highlands, the Western Isles and the Northern Isles
Meteorologist Alex Deakin has brought us the latest weather news for the rest of the day today, reminding us it isn't sunshine everywhere.
Deakin said there's a possibility the temperature could get as high as 16C in parts of eastern England today.
He made clear Glasgow and Belfast are likely to experience some showers in the late afternoon leading into the evening, before hitting Edinburgh.
Deakin confirmed Wednesday is looking very cloudy for much of the UK.
- Milica Cosic
Possible heatwave reaching 28C as early as April
While temperatures are often expected to be mild in April, it's a month more synonymous with rain.
This year though, according meteorologist, Jim Dale, suggests Brits may experience temperatures at hot as 28C – temperatures typically reserved for the middle of Summer.
Last year's April barely reached 15C, meanwhile our lockdown April was notoriously scorching.
According to the Met Office, it was the fifth hottest April in the UK since records began in 1929.
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