'BLOOD rain' could hit Southampton as thunderstorms mix with a cloud of dust.
The cloud of Saharan dust that is currently blowing over Western Europe is set to sweep across the county tomorrow, forecasters say.
This means we could see red rain fall as downpours are set to hit the city between 7am and 2pm.
According to the Met Office, “blood rain” occurs when relatively high concentrations of red coloured dust or particles get mixed with rain, giving it a red appearance as it falls.
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Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Paul Gundersen, said: “Concentrations of dust in the recent system – which has now moved away from the UK – were relatively low so would have quickly been rained out and washed away.
“It’s not uncommon to have some dust particles mixed in with the rainfall when the source air comes from northern Africa.
"The most common impact of this can be a dusty film sometimes appearing on people’s cars.”
It comes after a yellow thunderstorm warning was issued on Wednesday evening which saw forks of lightning illuminating the sky last night.
Britons basked in the country’s hottest day of the year on Tuesday, after temperatures in the south-east peaked at 27.5C.
On March 16, motorists noticed a thin layer of sand covering their cars as a Saharan storm hit Hampshire.
Cars in the Hedge End Trade Park off of Tollbar Way were left covered in the orange sand as it rained down from the sky.
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