Saharan Dust Turns UK Skies Otherworldly

0:00On March 6th, a plume of Saharan dust has created stunning skies over eastern England and much of the UK. Fine sand and mineral particles travel thousands of miles on warm air currents, turning sunsets hazy and sunrises otherworldly. This dust arrived on southerly winds following storm Regina, which battered the Iberian peninsula. At its height, the hazy layer stretched across most of England, with similar effects spotted across Europe, including Switzerland. People captured the eerie glow through photos shared with BBC weather watchers from misty mornings in Suffolk to dusty views over London's Battersea, power station and hazy suns in Hampshire. The dust should clear out across the North Sea by Saturday morning, but with rain expected in the coming days, we might see so-called blood rain where particles mix with raindrops. Blood rain leaves a gritty, reddish brown residue on surfaces as the tiny dust bits get washed down, a rare but striking reminder of far off deserts, reaching our shores.