Weather forecasters are predicting that a rare ‘blood rain’ phenomenon could turn skies across the UK red this week.
As heavy thunderstorms mix with a dust cloud from the Sahara, the Met Office has warned that parts of the country could have red or orange rain over the coming days, and it’s thought that lightning, strong winds, and hail could also move in.
A yellow warning for thunderstorms has also been issued in South East England, although Greater Manchester and much of the North West looks to have escaped these warnings for now.
But, what actually is ‘blood rain’ then? And why is it here in the UK?
Well, the unusual weather phenomenon occurs when relatively high concentrations of red coloured dust or particles get mixed with rain, which give it a red appearance as it falls, and, according to the Met Office, the dust cloud in question this time round is likely to come from the Sahara, and it has already been spotted in other European countries over the last few days.
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“Each year on several occasions the UK will see rain falling with some amount of dust mixed into it [and] this usually comes from the Sahara before mixing in clouds and falling out,” the Met Office explained.
Thursday is looking dry, warm and sunny again for many ☀️
Cloudier in the northwest with a few showers, and early showers will quickly clear southeast England 🌦️ pic.twitter.com/2CRTHuTpUI
Giving more of an insight into the ‘blood rain’ phenomenon, Richard Miles, of the Met Office, said: “There are some dust concentrations in the atmosphere above the UK at present which might well be washed out in the rain.
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“But it’s likely to be relatively small amounts on the whole.”
He added that, away from this, it will be “mostly fine and dry today and tomorrow”.
The forecasted thunderstorms elsewhere in the country may cause spray and sudden flooding, according to the Met Office, which could lead to difficult driving conditions, some road closures, delays or cancellations to train and bus services, flooding to homes and businesses, and even power cuts and damage due to lightning strikes.
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Thunderstorms come after the warmest day of the year was officially recorded at Heathrow yesterday, when temperatures peaked at 27.5°C.
It's now the warmest day of the year so far as temperatures have climbed to 27.5°C at Heathrow 🌡️ pic.twitter.com/kbWakBdCJi
For Greater Manchester though, and our apparent lucky escape from ‘blood rain’ and thunderstorms, we have a dry start to the day today, and it’ll be cloudy in places but brightening up throughout the morning to leave an afternoon with long lived sunny spells, with a maximum temperature of 20°C.
Cloud cover will continue to increase throughout Friday morning though, with some showers that may turn heavy in the afternoon.
Drier but breezier days are expected over the weekend.
Sir Ian McKellen pays emotional tribute to long-time friend and fellow northern actor Sir Patrick Stewart
Emily Sergeant
Sir Ian McKellen has paid an emotional tribute to his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, following his death.
Sir Patrick Stewart – who was born and bred in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and is best-known for his theatre work alongside an illustrious 60-year screen career, taking on prominent roles in franchises such as Star Trek and X-Men – sadly passed away at the age of 86, with his death being announced publicly yesterday evening (29 October).
And now, his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Ian McKellen, has paid tribute.
Sir Patrick and Sir Ian shared the stage together countless times over their decades-long careers, but also famously starred alongside each other in the X-Men franchise, and subsequent Marvel movies, as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Magneto.
The tribute, shared across Sir Ian’s social media platforms, reads: “Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.
“We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions.
“My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in ‘Star Trek’. “But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
“Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did, for not just his devoted Trekkies, but film and theatre audiences who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (‘X-Men’ of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin.
“But he never forsook his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.”
Sir Patrick Stewart’s farewell performance will be in Avengers: Doomsday, which is being released in UK cinemas on 18 December 2026
Featured Image – Gage Skidmore (via Flickr)
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Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets this Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks season.
Bonfire Night may be loved by us humans for the spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that come along with it… but sadly, the November holiday isn’t quite so fun for our four-legged friends.
Loud bangs, flashing lights, and unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives are just some of the reasons why fireworks are frightening to pets.
Not only that, but with multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays across this time of year, pets are rarely able to pinpoint when and where the booming explosions are coming from, therefore creating even more anxiety around this time of year.
Classic FM will play calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks / Credit: DESIGNECOLOGIST (via Unsplash)
Which is why, for the ninth year running now, Classic FM is once again teaming up with the RSPCA for two Pet Classics programmes packed with ‘the most soothing and comforting classical music’.
The music has been handpicked to help calm and settle any anxious pets.
A survey by the RSPCA revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of animal owners reported their pet was distressed during fireworks season, and that playing relaxing music was the most common way (36%) to help calm or prepare their animal.
Presenters Dan Walker, Aled Jones, and Dawn O’Porter will each host a night of the specially created programme to help keep the nation’s pets calm through the whizzes and bangs.
Dan will present the first programme on Bonfire Night itself (Thursday 5 November), and then as celebrations continue throughout the weekend, Aled will be on hand to bring some peace to Friday 6 November, and Dawn picks up the baton on Saturday 7 November.
Emily Sergeant -
19th May 2022 
