DUST from the world's hottest desert has been deposited on thousands of cars in Hampshire.

Motorists in the county discovered the thin layer of dust on their cars after a freak weather phenomenon.

The dust was transported from the Saharan Desert in North Africa after a big storm.

Daily Echo:

The storm swept up sand and dust from the western Sahara into the atmosphere, and it then spread into the Atlantic before arriving in the UK overnight5.

The dust, which was caught in the rain droplets in clouds, fell the ground and a thin layer of it is left on surfaces when water evaporates.

People in Southampton, Fareham and other areas of Hampshire have all reported finding the dust on their cars.

And there could be more when they wake up tomorrow, with fresh showers set to arrive overnight.

Paul Hutcheon, Deputy Chief Forecaster at the Met Office, said: “We usually see this happen several times a year, particularly in summer when you get these big dust storms in the western Sahara and the southerly winds to bring that dust here.

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“This event was a very well-marked example, as you can clearly see the dust as it moves from the Sahara to the UK in the satellite imagery.”