THE MET Office has released a satellite image showing a cloud of Saharan dust particles hovering over the UK.
Some may have already noticed that the skies appear somewhat hazier than usual.
The Met Office uploaded a satellite image of the dust clouds heading for the UK to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday.
Vast dust clouds can be seen travelling through Ireland and Northern Ireland, towards the west country.
Strong winds across the Sahara caused the dust particles to blow northwards to the UK.
This temporary phenomenon is called Saharan dust, it is when dust travels over from North Africa.
During these occurrences we tend to see hazy skies or even “blood rain”.
Blood rain is made from sand and dust, gathered from the Sahara.
It’s actually quite common for dust to travel over to the UK, in fact, it happens several times a year.
However, these occurrences can pose health risks for some living with lung conditions like asthma.
This is because the dust particles act as an irritant, leaving vulnerable people struggling for breath, wheezing and coughing.
Karen Spillett, deputy head of health advice at Asthma + Lung UK, has advised people with lung conditions to be cautious and stay indoors.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Met Eireann promise 19C start to Easter Holidays as sunshine and heat continue to blast Ireland before weekday warning” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6371209865112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]She said: “If you have a lung condition, especially asthma, you might find that the fine dust particles from the Sahara cause irritation to your lungs.
“Fine particles in the air can leave you struggling for breath, and at increased risk of asthma attacks and flare-ups of other lung conditions, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“If the Saharan dust cloud does reach the UK, people with lung conditions should be extra cautious and stay indoors.
“Keep your windows and doors shut if possible and ensure you have your reliever inhaler with you to treat symptoms if you go out.
“If you have a lung condition, ensure you take your preventer medication every day as prescribed, follow your asthma action plan and know what to do if you have an asthma attack or flare-up.”
For more advice on how to deal with asthma attacks, visit this link.
Dr Andy Whittamore, clinical lead at Asthma + Lung UK and a practising GP, said: “People with lung conditions, especially asthma, might find that the fine dust particles from the Sahara cause irritation to their lungs, which could result in them coughing and wheezing more or producing extra mucus.
“In many cases, these symptoms can be treated with a reliever inhaler, so it is important that people have one with them.
“This sort of irritation can cause asthma attacks and flare-ups of other lung conditions so we would advise people to follow their asthma action plan and to know what to do if they do have an asthma attack or exacerbation.
“We have advice on how to deal with an asthma attack on our website www.asthmaandlung.org.uk.
“Any additional air pollution is worrying at this time of year when so many people are getting over viruses and struggling with the colder weather.
“Their lungs might already be more inflamed than usual, and the Saharan dust could make their breathing worse.
“That is why we always encourage people with lung conditions to take their preventer medication every day as prescribed and to check their inhaler technique with a healthcare professional.”
It comes after dust from the Sahara desert hit the UK in January last year.
Met Office meteorologist Nicola Maxey said that while air quality could be affected it was unlikely to have much of an impact.
Earlier that month, the weather forecaster shared a satellite image of a huge cloud of dust moving across the Atlantic Ocean.
A post on X, formerly Twitter, read: “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…”
Ms Maxey told The Sun Online: “It happens a number of times a year. It’s actually relatively common.”
However, the right weather conditions are needed for it to be noticeable – a combination of winds blowing in the direction of the UK and the right amount of rain.
Some rain is needed to help bring the dust to land although if it is too heavy it just washes the dust away and it not really noticeable.
It comes after similar dust clouds hit the UK in 2022 but there was also one in 2019.
[boxout headline=”What is saharan dust and how does it reach the UK?”]SAHARAN dust clouds are a mixture of sand and dust from the Sahara, a desert area that covers most of North Africa.
Strong winds can collect sand from the desert high into the sky and into the upper atmosphere.
Once it has been lifted off the ground, clouds of dust can reach very high altitudes and be transported worldwide.
For the dust to get from up in the sky down to the ground, it needs to rain.
As raindrops fall, they collect particles of dust on the way down.
When the raindrops land and evaporate, they leave behind a layer of dust.
Saharan dust reaches the UK around several times a year when big dust storms in the Sahara coincide with southerly wind patterns.
In certain weather situations, Saharan dust can also affect air pollution and pollution levels.
Source: Met Office