Saharan mud particles have introduced a haze to elements of the UK this week, with the Met Office displaying a satellite tv for pc picture of a cloud hovering above the isles.
The plumes had been accompanied by discuss of “blood rain” coming to the nation and dramatic skies, very similar to seen in years passed by or from a catastrophe movie.
“Have you ever seen skies changing into somewhat hazy in direction of the west?” the Met Workplace tweeted on Monday.
“Robust winds throughout the Sahara have transported particles of mud northwards, which may be seen on satellite tv for pc imagery from earlier this morning over the UK.”
Blood rain just isn’t really a meteorological or scientific time period, states the Met Office, however is extra of a colloquial phrase that has some historical past connected.
Right here is all it’s good to know.
Blood rain is a colloquial time period to explain when the rain seems to be prefer it’s pink.
The Met Workplace says: “The forces that drive our climate may be fairly highly effective and do some stunning issues – together with lifting issues like sand and even small objects and transporting them massive distances.
“Within the case of blood rain, robust winds or storms can whip up mud and sand. As this turns into airborne, it may possibly get caught up in atmospheric circulation, the place it may be carried for 1000’s of miles.”
The rain can seem pink when it will get blended with excessive concentrations of pink colored mud.
A satellite tv for pc picture displaying the impact over the UK again in 2015
Met Workplace
Will we get blood rain within the UK?
Studies had been made on Monday of the potential of the blood rain within the UK this week, however this has not materialised and the Met Workplace has not confirmed that is probably.
A forecaster informed the Categorical: “Low stress transferring towards the Canary Islands will pull Saharan Mud into southern Spain and southern Portugal beginning Thursday.
“Because the low strikes nearer to the Iberian Peninsula, rain will fall by means of the mud, leading to a reddish tint to the rain or blood rain throughout southern Spain and southern Portugal from Thursday afternoon or night into Saturday.”
Has blood rain occurred earlier than?
Correct blood rain is uncommon–but it surely has occurred.
In 2001, pink rain poured over Kerala, India, and it was darkish sufficient that it stained folks’s garments.
Though blood rain might sound alarming, there’s a scientific clarification behind this occasion.
Scientists found that the pink rain over Kerala was brought on by airborne spores from terrestrial algae referred to as Trentepohlia annulata.
