Red Sky at Night, Shepherd's Delight

CAIRO – 16 October 2017: People across the UK today were amazed to look up at the sky to a ghostly red sun and an eerily red hue.

Reminiscent of a biblical apocalyptic scene, the sky above appeared to be in a sandstorm with a deep red sun piercing through, stopping people in their tracks to wonder in amazement.

Some areas of the country have been forced to turn on street lights and issue warnings as dust particles partially blocked out the sun and caused confusion through the country.

But what cause this strange, yet impressive phenomenon?

The answer? Storm Ophelia.

According to the Met Office, the red sun is caused by winds pulling up dust from the Sahara.

Sand and dust was carried over from southern Europe and Africa by peculiar weather recently, and swirled through the sky high up in the atmosphere.

As the sun’s rays travel through the dust, the light is reflected and refracted in longer wavelengths, which is part of the red part of the spectrum, thus giving the sky the impressive red glow.


Captivating Red Sky Over London
The huge forest fires, which have swept across Central Portugal and West Central Spain have filled the sky with ash and smoke, giving the sky the a unique smell.

However, Met Office has stated that this poses no health risk as the particles are high up in the atmosphere.