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UK Weather Forecasts 'Blood Rain' As Saharan Dust Blows Into Britain

Saharan Dust Is Bringing 'Blood Rain' To Britain This Weekend
Sara C Nelson
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Parts of Britain are set to be tinted a rusty red this weekend amid forecasts of ‘blood rain’.

As apocalyptic as it sounds, it’s not quite time to prepare for the end.

The phenomenon is caused when an influx of Saharan red dust and sand from the deserts of North Africa mixes with rain, creating a rosy-hued precipitation.

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The blood rain is unlikely to look like this... BUT IT COULD

When it dries it leaves a thin layer of red dust, coating cars, furniture and anything else you may have left outside a sooty claret.

Dr Steven Godby, a geographer at Nottingham Trent University told HuffPost UK: "Dust events like this are not uncommon in the UK and we witnessed one contribute to extremely poor air quality in parts of the country a year ago under similar synoptic conditions.

"The dust is produced from source areas in North Africa, incorporated into a northerly airflow and can travel long distances before being deposited as far away as the UK.

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"However, the events we experience are small scale compared to those experienced closer to major dust sources. Just last week a major dust storm swept across the Arabian peninsula, affecting travel and air quality before passing over the Arabian Sea and causing a major pollution alert in Mumbai, India.”

Experts have warned the dust could also cause spikes in air pollution, causing smog to build over Britain.

Asthma sufferers and older people are being advised to "reduce physical exertion" particularly while outdoors, as the air becomes more dense with pollutants.

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Smog over London
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A general view of London looking northwest from the viewing platform of the Shard building, showing St Paul's Cathedral, centre right, through smog and haze in London, Friday, April 10, 2015. Southern Britain and northern France are suffering high levels of air pollution due to stagnant air, though an Atlantic weather system will bring fresher conditions Saturday, according to weather predictions. Bridges over the river Thames are, from bottom, Cannnon Street railway bridge, Southwark Bridge, the Millennium pedestrian bridge, Blackfriars, Waterloo Bridge (obscured at exteme left). (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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In this general view of London, taken through glass, showing Tower Bridge, lower left, over the river Thames and looking east towards Canary Wharf, top, which is just visible through the haze and smog in London, Friday, April 10, 2015. Southern Britain and northern France are suffering high levels of air pollution due to stagnant air, though an atlantic weather system will bring fresher conditions Saturday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(03 of28)
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A general view of London looking northwest from the viewing platform of the Shard building, showing St Paul's Cathedral through smog and haze in London, Friday, April 10, 2015. Southern Britain and northern France are suffering high levels of air pollution due to stagnant air, though an atlantic weather system will bring fresher conditions Saturday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(04 of28)
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In this general view of London, taken through glass, showing Tower Bridge and looking east towards Canary Wharf, top right, which is just visible through the haze and smog in London, Friday, April 10, 2015. Southern Britain and northern France are suffering high levels of air pollution due to stagnant air, though an Atlantic weather system will bring fresher conditions Saturday, according to weather forecast predictions. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(05 of28)
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Visitors to the Shard building viewing platform take photos of the City of London, with St Paul's Cathedral, seen at centre, with a layer of smog and haze visible above the city, in London, Friday, April 10, 2015. Southern Britain and northern France are suffering high levels of air pollution due to stagnant air, though an atlantic weather system will bring fresher conditions Saturday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(06 of28)
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A general view of London from the viewing platform of the Shard building, which has been photographed through plate glass, showing Britain's parliament, the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben's clock tower, right, visible through the haze and smog in London, Friday, April 10, 2015. Southern Britain and northern France are suffering high levels of air pollution due to stagnant air, though an Atlantic weather system will bring fresher conditions Saturday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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In this general view of London, taken through glass, looking east towards Canary Wharf, top, which is just visible through the haze and smog in London, Friday, April 10, 2015. Southern Britain and northern France are suffering high levels of air pollution due to stagnant air, though an Atlantic weather system will bring fresher conditions Saturday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(08 of28)
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In this general view of London, taken through glass, looking east towards Canary Wharf, top, which is just visible through the haze and smog in London, Friday, April 10, 2015. Southern Britain and northern France are suffering high levels of air pollution due to stagnant air, though an Atlantic weather system will bring fresher conditions Saturday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Air pollution over London (credit:Alamy live news)
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Air pollution over London (credit:Alamy live news)
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A Government department has issued a health warning for the 10 April with "very high" levels of air pollution expected in parts of the counrty. (credit:Rex)
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Sea mist shrouds the beach in Broadstairs, Kent, as fine weather moves across the country. (credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
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Sea mist shrouds the beach in Broadstairs, Kent, as fine weather moves across the country. (credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 10: Workmen walk on top of the Walkie Talkie building in heavy smog on April 10, 2015 in London, England. Air pollution and smog has blanketed much of central and Southern England today, posing a possible health risk to those suffering from respiratory diseases, older people and children, according to health charities. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 10: Morning commuters walk across Blackfriars Bridge through smog on April 10, 2015 in London, England. Air pollution and smog has blanketed much of central and Southern England today, posing a possible health risk to those suffering from respiratory diseases, older people and children, according to health charities. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 10: Two women and a dog sit on Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath overlooking an overcast Central London on April 10, 2015 in London, England. Air pollution and smog has blanketed much of central and Southern England today, posing a possible health risk to those suffering from respiratory diseases, older people and children, according to health charities. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 10: A woman and a child stand on Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath overlooking an overcast Central London on April 10, 2015 in London, England. Air pollution and smog has blanketed much of central and Southern England today, posing a possible health risk to those suffering from respiratory diseases, older people and children, according to health charities. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 10: Central London appears covered in smog seen from Hampstead Heath on April 10, 2015 in London, England. Air pollution and smog has blanketed much of central and Southern England today, posing a possible health risk to those suffering from respiratory diseases, older people and children, according to health charities. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 10: Morning commuters walk across Waterloo Bridge through smog on April 10, 2015 in London, England. Air pollution and smog has blanketed much of central and Southern England today, posing a possible health risk to those suffering from respiratory diseases, older people and children, according to health charities. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 10: The City of London covered in smog seen from Hampstead Heath on April 10, 2015 in London, England. Air pollution and smog has blanketed much of central and Southern England today, posing a possible health risk to those suffering from respiratory diseases, older people and children, according to health charities. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 10: A boat makes its way across the Thames through smog on April 10, 2015 in London, England. Air pollution and smog has blanketed much of central and Southern England today, posing a possible health risk to those suffering from respiratory diseases, older people and children, according to health charities. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 10: People stand on Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath overlooking an overcast Central London on April 10, 2015 in London, England. Air pollution and smog has blanketed much of central and Southern England today, posing a possible health risk to those suffering from respiratory diseases, older people and children, according to health charities. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 10: A boat makes its way across the Thames through smog on April 10, 2015 in London, England. Air pollution and smog has blanketed much of central and Southern England today, posing a possible health risk to those suffering from respiratory diseases, older people and children, according to health charities. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)

Dr Sotiris Vardoulakis, head of the air pollution and climate change group at Public Health England's Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, said: "While most people will not be affected by short term peaks in air pollution, some individuals, particularly those with existing heart or lung conditions, may experience increased symptoms."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has warned of spikes in air pollution across central, eastern and northern England.

Additionally, with summer seeming to come early for many this week, doctors have reported seeing hay-fever sufferers experiencing symptoms.

While the pollen levels are moderate for much of the south of England and low for the rest of the UK according to the Met Office, many people are already suffering from hay-fever symptoms.

Weird weather phenomena
Super cells(01 of18)
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This ominous cloud is a super cell: a thunderstorm with a a deep, rotating updraft, called a mesocyclone. They are rare, severe storms and can change the weather up to 30 kilometres away. (credit:Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
Brinicles or "the icy finger of death"(02 of18)
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Eerily referred to as the "icy finger of death, brinicles are like underwater icicles. They appear beneath sea ice when a flow of very cold water mixes with other ocean water. Sea ice is very different from ice on land: it's spongelike in texture. When it touches the sea bed, a web of ice can form that freezes everything it touches, including creatures like starfish. (credit:Alamy)
Volcanic lightning or 'dirty thunderstorms'(03 of18)
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It's an awesome display when lightning and volcanic eruptions collide. Scientists believe that a volcano emits a large electrical charge, so an opposite charge is created to balance this out - in the form of a lightning bolt. (credit:SUTANTA ADITYA via Getty Images)
Hoar frost(04 of18)
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These frost crystals are so thick that they look like snow. The interlocking shards appear when objects that are below freezing are exposed to "supersaturated air" (air with a high water content). On a warmer object, dew would form, but the humidity in the air produces the spikey hoar frost. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Weatherbomb(05 of18)
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The weatherbomb was the original strangely-named weather phenomena to blast Britain recently. The catacylsmic weather event - bringing strong winds and heavy rain - is officially known as an extratropical cyclone, a strong cyclone that forms after a rapid fall in pressure within a storm. The process that creates it is known as bombogenesis. (credit:Photography by Tim Bow via Getty Images)
Sundogs(06 of18)
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This slightly mystical effect is a sundog, also known as a parhelia or mock sun. It happens when light interacts with ice crystals in the atmosphere. Two bright spots appear either side of the sun, at the same height. Sun dogs are often seen with what's called a 22º halo - a ring around the sun formed from light refracting off ice crystals at a 22º angle. (credit:August Allen/Flickr)
Ice volcanoes(07 of18)
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Ice volcanoes erupt with icy water rather than lava, and occur when water and and ice are close together. When waves hit a shell of ice in a weak spot, a hole forms, spewing water and sleet high into the air. They regularly form around the Great Lakes in the Northern USA. (credit:Michigan Tech University Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Department)
Blue jets, sprites and elves(08 of18)
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Their names sound magical, and these optical phenomena are something special. They were only recently recorded using low-light television technology. They are the result of the fallout from thunderstorms: the sprite is a red flash that appears above the storm when lightning hit, while the elf is a halo which can appear even higher up when the storm generates an electromagnetic pulse - lasting for less than a thousandth of a second. The blue jet is a streak that looks like a falling star, and is in fact an electrical ejection from the core of a thunderstorm. (credit:Wikipedia)
Vortex shedding(09 of18)
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Vortex shedding occurs when the wind hits a mechanical system - such as the lamp posts on this motorway - at a specific frequency, causing the system to “excite” . They vibrate and move, which is pretty frightening for the drivers in this case.
Snow doughnuts(10 of18)
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These amusingly-named lumps form when there is a hard layer of snow covered by several more inches of dense snow. On a hill, gravity pulls the hard lump, downwards, gathering more bulk as it rolls. With the perfect density and temperature, it rolls leaving a hole in the centre. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Snow rollers(11 of18)
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A cousin of the now doughnut, these odd-shaped natural snowballs form when high winds roll snow over open areas. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Waterspouts or "sea monsters"(12 of18)
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When a tornado is generated over water, this is what happens. The funnel-shaped cloud is connected to a larger cloud above. Although it looks like they suck up water, they don't exactly: although a "spray ring" forms and some spray rises up the air tunnel. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Mammatus clouds(13 of18)
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These bizarre pouches of cloud, which can look like hundreds of white balloons have been released into the sky, are a true mystery. Scientists don't know how they form, but have several theories. It could be due to a cooling of part of the cloud which causes it to drop down, an unstable cloud where "cloudy" air doesn't mix fully with dry air, or possibly gravity waves which move part of the cloud away. (credit:Dennis Stacey via Getty Images)
Dust devils(14 of18)
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The dust devil is a strong whirlwind, which sucks up dust and debris, making it visible. The devils are smaller than tornadoes - less than 100 feet tall - and form differently. They come into being when light winds move over a hot surface and convective rolls of air are formed, meaning a desert is a common location for dust devils. (credit:NBC via Getty Images)
Giant hailstones(15 of18)
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As the name suggest, these are really, really big hailstones. They are sometimes called "ice bombs" and tend to shatter when they hit the ground. One of the largest ever recorded was seen in Vivian, South Dakota, in the US in 2010. It was 8 inches in diameter and weighed nearly 2 pounds. (credit:SEBASTIAN WILLNOW via Getty Images)
Lenticular clouds (16 of18)
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Lenticular clouds are stationary, lens-shaped cloud - but people often mistake them for UFOs as they also look rather like saucers. High altitudes are needed for them to appear, and they usually form at right-angles to the wind direction, when stable moist steams of air move over a formation like a mountain. (credit:Hans Neleman via Getty Images)
Roll clouds(17 of18)
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These solitary clouds seem to rotate around a horizontal axis, and aren't linked to any other formations. They are are usually formed by cold, wet air flowing out of sea breezes or cold fronts. The most famous is Australia's 'Morning Glory' cloud, which appears regularly in October in Queensland thanks to the sea breezes that develop over the Cape York Peninsula. (credit:Daniela Mirner Eberl)
Thundersnow(18 of18)
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Thundersnow burst into the consciousness of the British public when storms battered us from late 2014. As the name suggests, it's snow that falls during a thunderstorm, a rare occurrence caused when cold air passes over a warm sea. Thunderstorms are produced by moist air rising, which hardly ever happens at temperatures low enough to allow snowfall. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Andrew Williams, nurse consultant at Homerton Hospital, east London, told the Daily Express: "People have already been coming in with symptoms triggered by the London plane trees.

"Now we are seeing high birch pollen levels, a lot of sufferers are presenting slightly earlier than usual as the problem gets worse."

The country could enjoy the hottest day of the year so far today as temperatures are expected to soar to 22C (71.6F), making parts of it warmer than Greece and Turkey.

The mercury is set to peak in parts of eastern England, making it warmer than the 6C (42.8F) forecast for Ankara and 17C (62.6F) in Athens.

However Brits should not pack away their umbrellas and raincoats just yet, as temperatures are expected to become more seasonal by tomorrow, with a band of rain expected overnight.

Met Office meteorologist Charles Powell said today's weather may be a shock to the system after a week of uncharacteristically warm temperatures.

He said: "On Friday we could see temperatures of up to 22C (71.6 F) across parts of eastern England, particularly to the north of London and into Cambridgeshire.

"But by Saturday morning temperatures will be lower after a band of rain overnight.

"But it's not that it's going to be particularly cold, it's just returning to nearer normal after a week of temperatures being above average, so it will feel slightly colder."

On Saturday temperatures of around 10C (50F) or 11C (52F) will be seen in the North and around 14C (57F) or 15C (59F) further south, providing some cooler air for spectators and competitors in the Grand National and the Boat Race.

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