UK set for fiery sunsets and 'blood rain' this week as Saharan dust sweeps in

The dust, made up of sand particles lifted from the Sahara desert, will have travelled to the UK on southerly wind currents.

With it, the plume will bring fiery red sunrises and sunsets, as well as a phenomenon known as 'blood rain'.

The weather episode occurs when rain mixes with sand particles and can result in dirty deposits being left on surfaces, including cars and windows.

Despite its dramatic name and unusual appearance, this type of rain is entirely harmless, with the Met Office saying the phenomenon was "relatively common in the UK".

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The brightest colours are expected to arrive on Thursday and continue into Friday, particularly at times when skies are clear like sunrise and sunset.

The most vibrant displays are likely to occur in England and Wales.

Over the past few days, the Canary Islands have been battered by Storm Regina, which has caused powerful gusts and hazardous sea conditions.

The storm then tracked eastward into the western Mediterranean, drawing up warm southerly winds from North Africa and lifting desert dust high into the atmosphere.

The winds are now on track for the UK.

It comes as the second full moon of the year — known as the worm moon to mark the end of winter when creatures like worms begin to emerge from the ground — arrived as a blood moon on Tuesday evening.

Countries across the world witnessed the moon as a large, red spectacle.