A huge dust storm which turned European skies orange today is set to hit the UK by tomorrow morning, an expert has predicted.
The cloud formed when dust from the Sahara Desert was driven up into the air by a weather front dubbed Storm Celia by Spanish authorities. It was then pushed over the Mediterranean before covering parts of France and Spain.
The mass of hot air and orange hue was strongest in Murcia and Madrid - with images taken from the streets below showing the eerie phenomenon lighting up the skies.
Spanish officials warned the public to wear face masks while outside and to stay indoors for as long as possible.
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And now a UK expert has confirmed the storm will make landfall across parts of the UK by Wednesday morning.
Atmospheric scientist Dr Claire Ryder 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 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.
“People are likely to see surfaces such as cars getting dusty and red, and air quality may be slightly lower than usual due to the dust particles in the air.
“The dust has been transported more than 1,500 miles to the UK from Algeria and Morocco over the last two days, driven by strong winds from Storm Celia, named by the Spanish Meteorological Agency.
“Red skies and poor air quality have been experienced from Algeria, to Spain, France and as far as the Alps, where snow has been tinged with red, and even in Vienna.
“The winds associated with the storm lifted dust particles up into the atmosphere, to high altitudes of around 3-4km, where they can then be transported over continental-scale distances, causing impacts across Europe.
“We could see reduced solar energy production and slightly lower surface temperatures, because the dust reflects some sunlight back out into space.”
BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood echoed warnings of poor air quality reaching Britain by Wednesday.
She said: "There has been very poor air quality today in parts of Spain, and it could well affect us in the southeast and East Anglia on Wednesday."
Previously, Dr Andy Whittamore - the clinical lead at Asthma UK - warned of the risks posed by Saharan dust.
"Toxic air can leave people struggling for breath and can cause wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and even a life-threatening asthma attack," he said.
“Saharan dust could pose a serious risk to the 5.4 million people in the UK with asthma.
"Dust and other types of air pollution are a well-known trigger for people with asthma.
“People with asthma must make sure they carry their reliever inhaler (usually blue) with them at all times in case their symptoms worsen.
"We also advise people with asthma to continue to manage their condition with their preventer inhaler (usually brown) as this will help to reduce the inflammation in their airways and make them less likely to react to asthma triggers."
