Dust from Sahara desert reaches the UK! Cars in the West Midlands are covered with sand after wind sweeps it 5,000 miles
- Dust from the Sahara desert has been seen on cars across the West Midlands
- It has been seen in Worcester, Stourbridge, Wolverhampton and Shropshire
Dust from the Sahara desert has covered cars in the West Midlands, with the sand travelling over 5,000 miles.
Parts of Worcester, Stourbridge, Wolverhampton and Shropshire awoke to the phenomenon this morning.
Meteorologists had predicted the phenomenon, explaining the dust clouds from the desert in North Africa could be seen travelling northwards from space.
One man from Worcester, Cris, told MailOnline that he went outside today to find his and his neighbours’ cars caked in dust.
‘So many cars covered in this stuff. When I went outside today to get in my car, I noticed that my car and all the neighbours’ cars were covered in some form of sprayed dirt/mud or something,’ he said.
Dust from the Sahara desert has covered cars in the West Midlands, with the sand travelling over 5,000 miles. Pictured: Saharan dust covers a car in Newcastle this afternoon
Meteorologists had predicted the phenomenon, explaining the dust clouds from the desert in North Africa could be seen travelling northwards from space
Experts say the sweeping sand is fairly common in the UK as it can occur several times a year happening when big storms in the desert coincide with southerly winds.
According to the Met Office, the dust is ‘a mixture of sand and dust from the Sahara, the vast desert area that covers most of North Africa’ (File image of the Sahara desert)
‘I am now seeing it everywhere I go driving around Worcester areas, as most people haven’t washed their cars off of it yet.
‘The evidence is literally all over almost every car in Worcester! I am in Malvern now and its the same here as well.’
The Met Office explained how Saharan dust ends up thousands of miles away from the desert: ‘If the winds in the upper part of the atmosphere are blowing north, the dust can be carried as far as the UK.
‘Once it is lifted from the ground by strong winds, clouds of dust can reach very high altitudes and be transported worldwide, covering thousands of miles.
‘In order for the dust to get from up in the sky down to the ground, you need something to wash it out of the sky – rain. ‘As raindrops fall, they collect particles of dust on the way down. ‘Then when the raindrops land on something and eventually evaporate, they leave behind a layer of dust.’
One man from Worcester, Cris, told MailOnline that he went outside today to find his and his neighbours’ cars caked in dust (pictured)
‘I am now seeing it everywhere I go driving around Worcester areas, as most people havent washed their cars off of it yet,’ said Cris
According to the Met Office, Saharan dust is ‘a mixture of sand and dust from the Sahara, the vast desert area that covers most of North Africa’
Experts say the phenomenon is fairly common in the UK as it can occur several times a year
The Saharan dust also helps create stunning sunsets.
According to the Met Office, Saharan dust is ‘a mixture of sand and dust from the Sahara, the vast desert area that covers most of North Africa’.
Experts say the phenomenon is fairly common in the UK as it can occur several times a year happening when big storms in the desert coincide with southerly winds.
Amid the unusual phenomenon, people have flocked to social media to post about sights of the Saharan sand across the UK.
Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, weather photographer Stephen Cheatley shared a picture of the dust during a light rain shower in Blackpool on Thursday morning.
Another nature photographer by the name of Veronica shared a photo with the caption: ‘The Sahara dust cloud over The Fens. Ely in Cambridgeshire at sunset.’
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