Lancashire Photographer
Red October Sun
17.10.2017 Red October
On 16 October 2017, the combination of the powerful ex-hurricane Ophelia, wildfires in Portugal and Spain, and uplifting of desert dust from the Sahara all combined to varying degrees to turn the colour of the sky a deep brown and orange hue, and the Sun red, across England, Wales and parts of Scotland.
Ophelia originated in the Azores where it was a hurricane and as it tracked its way northwards it dragged in tropical air from the Sahara."
This meant dust from the Sahara was brought with it.
"The dust gets picked up into the air and goes high up into the atmosphere, and that dust has been dragged high up in the atmosphere above the UK.
The particles in the air cause blue light to scatter, leaving longer-wavelength red light to shine through.
The Met Office said the "vast majority" of the dust was as a result of forest fires in Iberia, which have sent debris into the air and that has been dragged north by Ophelia.
Red October Sun
17.10.2017 Red October
On 16 October 2017, the combination of the powerful ex-hurricane Ophelia, wildfires in Portugal and Spain, and uplifting of desert dust from the Sahara all combined to varying degrees to turn the colour of the sky a deep brown and orange hue, and the Sun red, across England, Wales and parts of Scotland.
Ophelia originated in the Azores where it was a hurricane and as it tracked its way northwards it dragged in tropical air from the Sahara."
This meant dust from the Sahara was brought with it.
"The dust gets picked up into the air and goes high up into the atmosphere, and that dust has been dragged high up in the atmosphere above the UK.
The particles in the air cause blue light to scatter, leaving longer-wavelength red light to shine through.
The Met Office said the "vast majority" of the dust was as a result of forest fires in Iberia, which have sent debris into the air and that has been dragged north by Ophelia.