Dust from Sahara desert reaches the UK! Cars in the West Midlands are covered with sand after wind sweeps it 5,000 miles

Dust from Sahara desert reaches the UK! Cars in the West Midlands are covered with sand after wind sweeps it 5,000 miles Dust from the Sahara desert has been seen on cars across the West Midlands It has been seen in Worcester, Stourbridge, Wolverhampton and Shropshire By Zac Campbell and Katherine Lawton Updated: 18:55 EDT, 7 September 2023 e-mail 39 shares 273 View comments Dust from the Sahara desert has covered cars in the West Midlands, with the sand travelling over 5,000 miles. Parts of Worcester, Stourbridge, Wolverhampton and Shropshire awoke to the phenomenon this morning. Meteorologists had predicted the phenomenon, explaining the dust clouds from the desert in North Africa could be seen travelling northwards from space.

One man from Worcester, Cris, told MailOnline that he went outside today to find his and his neighbours’ cars caked in dust. ‘So many cars covered in this stuff. When I went outside today to get in my car, I noticed that my car and all the neighbours’ cars were covered in some form of sprayed dirt/mud or something,’ he said.

Dust from the Sahara desert has covered cars in the West Midlands, with the sand travelling over 5,000 miles. Pictured: Saharan dust covers a car in Newcastle this afternoon Meteorologists had predicted the phenomenon, explaining the dust clouds from the desert in North Africa could be seen travelling northwards from space Experts say the sweeping sand is fairly common in the UK as it can occur several times a year happening when big storms in the desert coincide with southerly winds. According to the Met Office, the dust is ‘a mixture of sand and dust from the Sahara, the vast desert area that covers most of North Africa’ (File image of the Sahara desert) ‘I am now seeing it everywhere I go driving around Worcester areas, as most people haven’t washed their cars off yet.

‘The evidence is literally all over almost every car in Worcester! I am in Malvern now and its the same here as well. ‘ The Met Office explained how Saharan dust ends up thousands of miles away from the desert: ‘If the winds in the upper part of the atmosphere are blowing north, the dust can be carried as far as the UK. ‘Once it is lifted from the ground by strong winds, clouds of dust can reach very high altitudes and be transported worldwide, covering thousands of miles.

‘In order for the dust to get from up in the sky down to the ground, you need something to wash it out of the sky – rain. ‘As raindrops fall, they collect particles of dust on the way down. ‘Then when the raindrops land on something and eventually evaporate, they leave behind a layer of dust.

‘ One man from Worcester, Cris, told MailOnline that he went outside today to find his and his neighbours’ cars caked in dust (pictured) ‘I am now seeing it everywhere I go driving around Worcester areas, as most people haven’t washed their cars off yet,’ said Cris Saharan dust is ‘a mixture of sand and dust from the Sahara, the vast desert area that covers most of North Africa,’ according to the Met Office Experts explained the dust is relatively common in the UK as it can occur a few times a year The Saharan dust also helps create stunning sunsets. According to the Met Office, Saharan dust is ‘a mixture of sand and dust from the Sahara, the vast desert area that covers most of North Africa’. Experts say the phenomenon is fairly common in the UK as it can occur several times a year happening when big storms in the desert coincide with southerly winds.

Amid the unusual phenomenon, people have flocked to social media to post about sights of the Saharan sand across the UK. Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, weather photographer Stephen Cheatley shared a picture of the dust during a light rain shower in Blackpool on Thursday morning. Another nature photographer by the name of Veronica shared a photo with the caption: ‘The Sahara dust cloud over The Fens.

Ely in Cambridgeshire at sunset. ‘ Share or comment on this article: Dust from Sahara desert reaches the UK! Cars in the West Midlands are covered with sand after wind sweeps it 5,000 miles e-mail 39 shares Add comment Comments 273 Share what you think Newest Oldest Best rated Worst rated View all The comments below have not been moderated. View all The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment Enter your comment By posting your comment you agree to our house rules . Submit Comment Clear Close Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. No Yes Close Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline.

To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook.

Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy . .