The pristine snow-white slopes on the French Alps have gone severely off piste, as strong storms whipped up dust from the Sahara and turned the wintry scenes a dramatic orange colour - and the dust storm is heading for England.
Incredible pictures taken in south west France show people skiing on snow turned orange overnight by the desert sand from more than 1,500 miles away.
The phenomenon is caused by large gusts of wind lift the small sand particles from the cool air on the ground in the desert into hotter air in the skies, which is then carried across the Mediterranean.
Skiers did not seem fazed by the new look slopes as several were pictured continuing with their trips.
Several were eager to take pictures of the hillsides turned orange by the dust particles.
Previously, scientific studies have suggested the layers of Saharan dust could increase the risk of avalanches on the French Alps, although it is yet to be proven.
The skies across regions of Spain also turned an eerie shade of yellow and orange yesterday, which continued on to France.
Some people in the UK have woken up to find a bizarre orange tint outside their windows, including in the south east, as well as dust particles on their cars.
Earlier a UK atmospheric scientist warned Brits of a significant reduction in air quality and a chance that motorists may wake up to find their cars covered in Saharan dust.
Dr Claire Ryder, who works at the University of Reading, said: "The plume is forecast to reach southern England during the early hours of Wednesday, covering areas from Dorset to Suffolk, with the southeast counties, particularly Kent, being the worst affected.
“The main plume is forecast to remain over the continent with only the weaker edges grazing southern England. Dust amounts will likely be significantly lower over England compared to extremely dusty conditions currently being experienced over Spain and France.
“Those up early enough on Wednesday will see the tell-tale red dusty sunrise. This is caused by the dust absorbing blue light from the sun and letting more red light through when the sun is low in the sky.
“By evening the dust will have moved eastwards towards the Netherlands and Germany.”
There were warnings for people who suffer with asthma to carry their inhalers as the Saharan dust can leave people struggling to breathe properly.
Around 5.4 million people have the condition in the UK.
Other countries to have experienced the bizarre orange skies include Algeria and Austria.
The changes to the world’s climate could mean more of the sand changing the colours of skies in the coming years, experts have predicted.
