Why Saharan dust could mean a week of stunning sunrises and sunsets for the UK

Wells-Next-the-Sea in Norfolk. Credit: Victoria Leggett/ITV News Anglia
Stunning sunsets like this one at Wells-Next-the-Sea in Norfolk could be on the cards for the rest of the week. Credit: ITV News Anglia

The UK is in line for a prolonged spell of warmer weather, which could see the hottest day of the year later this week - along with some stunning images of autumn and vibrant sunsets.

Several September heat records could be broken as temperatures as high as 33C (91F) could be seen this week, with much of the country experiencing temperatures above 30C.

The reason is that air from north Africa is already spreading across the much of the UK.

The jet stream is currently in a pattern called an Omega Block.

This is how the air from Africa has reached the UK. Like cogs in a wheel, the low pressure centres on either side of the UK - one off the Atlantic coast of Spain and the other over the Balkans - with a high pressure centre over the UK.

This will maintain a feed of warm air for the week, before slowly trickling off by the weekend.

Overnight, it will be humid with temperatures only dropping to around 15C (59F), which could be uncomfortable to sleep.

The warm weather system is centred over the UK. Credit: ITV News Anglia

As that humidity climbs it will mean some stunning autumnal dawn scenes as the mist and fog which has fallen lifts in the early morning.

But one comfort for all of us could be a stunning series of sunrises and sunsets.

The cause is dust from the Saharan desert, which has been caught up in high level winds.

The extra dust particles usually create intensive hues of red and yellow at the start and end of the day.

It's a sign of just how far the warm air has travelled, and we could see signs of it falling in the region too - look out for sprinklings on your car windscreen first thing in the morning.

Is it an Indian summer?

An Indian summer is usually associated with a warm spell of weather in October or November and usually occurring after the first frost.

So technically this is not an Indian summer - but a warm spell of early autumn weather.

Interestingly, if this weather set-up had happened about a month ago - when there was an extra hour of daylight - temperatures would have been expected to be about 5C higher.

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