Haboobs and 'blood rain': Britain’s skies to ignite with intense, fiery sunsets

If you’ve been lucky enough to catch a clear evening sky lately, you’ve probably noticed just how breathtaking the sunsets have been.

But why are they happening? How long will they last? And what is the so-called ‘blood rain’ we’re experiencing? Here’s everything you need to know:

Why are the sunsets suddenly so vivid?

In a word: Dust. A plume of very fine sand and mineral particles has travelled all the way from North Africa to the UK on warm southerly winds.

Those dust particles are now swirling around high up in our atmosphere. As the sun rises and sets, its light must travel through a greater portion of the atmosphere.

The tiny dust particles scatter away the shorter blue tones, and allow those richer reds, ambers and burnt oranges to shine through.

That’s why the sky can look almost glowing — especially when conditions are clear and calm.

Sunsets are set to become more vivid across the UK. / Credit: PA

How has that desert dust reached so far northwards – and what on earth is a ‘haboob’?

The word ‘haboob’ comes from the Arabic ‘habūb’, which literally translates to ‘blasting’ or ‘strong wind’ and it refers to an intense desert dust or sand storm.

The dramatic walls of dust and sand that the haboob creates stay in desert regions, but the very finest particles are carried high into the atmosphere and then transported on currents of air high up in the atmosphere over great distances, eventually reaching our skies and beyond.

Now, with high pressure bringing settled, mild weather to the UK, that dusty air is being steered our way.

How unusual is it?

It happens more often than you might think – we see this phenomenon several times a year, particularly in late winter and spring. Even though the results can look astounding.

And what about ‘blood rain’?

It sounds alarming, but it’s harmless! If rain falls while the dust is overhead, the tiny particles get trapped in raindrops and fall to the ground.

This can leave a thin reddish-brown coating on cars, windows and garden furniture.

It’s known as “blood rain” because of the rusty colour – but it’s simply rainwater mixed with desert dust.

When will skies look their best?

The most vibrant colours tend to appear when skies are clear at sunrise and sunset. So if you’re up early or heading home as the sun dips, take a moment to look up.

These sights are a wonderful reminder that our weather is connected to a much bigger global picture. Those beautiful colours in the skies above our homes are the result of weather systems thousands of miles away – and I think that’s pretty amazing.