Rare ‘blood rain’ could fall in Ireland this weekend as a huge Saharan dust storm sweeps across the country.
Dust from the Sahara desert is forecast to travel all the way from North Africa to Ireland this weekend. The unusual phenomenon happens when strong winds blow from south-southwest towards north-northeast, kicking up dust and carrying it in gusts upwards across the continent of Europe.
Satellite images show huge amounts of dust spreading across Europe, which could bring an eerie hue to the sky, as well as leave cars covered in dust.
The British Met Office shared a satellite image of the dust on Friday, writing: “This amazing image captures a plume of Saharan dust moving out of Africa and into the Atlantic. Some of this dust will make its way towards us over the coming days…”
This means ‘blood rain’ could fall in Ireland this weekend. ‘Blood rain’ is a term used when red-coloured rain falls from the sky.
According to the Met Office: “Blood rain is not actually a meteorological or scientific term – instead it’s a colloquial phrase which can be found going a fair way back in history.
“The forces that drive our weather can be quite powerful and do some surprising things – including lifting things like sand or even small objects and transporting them large distances.
“In the case of blood rain, strong winds or storms can whip up dust and sand. As this becomes airborne it can get caught up in atmospheric circulation, where it can be carried for thousands of miles.
“Eventually the dust will either fall out of the sky due to gravity or will be caught up in rain clouds, where it mixes with the water droplets. When these fall as rain the raindrops could appear red.”
The forecasters added that proper ‘blood rain’ is a relatively rare event as extremely high concentrations of dust particles are needed in the rain.
However in 2001 in the southern Indian state of Kerala, monsoon rains periodically fell with a red colour which was dark enough to stain clothes.
Last September, there were queues at car washes across Cork and Kerry after showers of ‘blood rain’ left some cars covered in a thin film of sand.
Saharan dust on a car windscreen
With some Saharan dust set to affect Ireland this weekend, and Met Eireann forecasting rain, there is a chance some areas could see ‘blood rain’.
The national forecaster has issued its weekend forecast, predicting unusually mild temperatures of up to 10C after dark.
Giving a day-by-day breakdown of what to expect, it said: “Today will be mostly cloudy with patches of light rain, drizzle and mist. Highest temperatures of 8C to 12C in a moderate to fresh southerly breeze.
“Tonight will be mostly cloudy with patches of light rain or drizzle. Mild, with lowest temperatures of 7C to 10C, in a moderate to fresh southerly breeze.
“Sunday morning will be generally cloudy and dry, with just isolated patches of light rain or drizzle. Rain will develop in the west before midday and will move eastwards across the rest of the country during the afternoon and evening. Breezy at first with a fresh to strong and gusty southerly wind, easing and becoming northwesterly later. Mild with highest temperatures of 10C to 13C.
“Cloudy and rather wet Sunday night with bands of rain moving east across the country from early in the evening. The rain will be heavy at times too but will ease from the west overnight. Southerly winds will ease light and variable with lowest temperatures of 2C to 5C.”
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