'Blood Rain' phenomenon may visit Europe this week
When rain combines with dust, it can look red and leave an imprint behind, and this may happen in western Europe this week, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
Rainfall on Feb. 22 in Hormozgan, Iran, sent red sediment down cliffs on Hormuz Island, creating a rare, vivid scene captured by @hormoz_omid.
Saharan dust from Africa is moving northward across Spain and Portugal late this week, and it could cause a phenomenon known as "blood rain" in Spain, France and the United Kingdom, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
Also known as "mud rain" or "dirty rain," this event occurs when dust mixes with rain, causing runoff and making the sky appear eerie orange, brown, or red. The rain can also leave behind a layer of dust on homes and cars after it evaporates. Air quality may also be reduced during and following the dusty rain.
Rain that leaves a dusty film behind can happen anywhere in the world, including the United States. Places closer to the source of red dust, such as northern Africa and southern Europe, are more likely to see true "blood rain."
This phenomenon is different than that which occurs in Hormuz Island, Iran, where rain can hit crimson soil rich in iron oxide.
Cars full of mud on the day the so-called 'mud rain', a combination of a Saharan dust cloud with a squall, occurred in the Andalusian capital, March 15, 2022 in Seville (Andalusia, Spain). (Photo By Joaquin Corchero/Europa Press via Getty Images)
