Storm Ophelia: why is the sky yellow?

Parts of the UK have been experiencing a yellow sky as Storm Ophelia edges closer.

The sun tries to break through as the effects of Hurricane Ophelia (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Residents on the west coast of Scotland reported the strange colour of the sky on social media.


Meanwhile those living in the south west of England have experienced and a yellow tinged sky for most of this morning, although it has since appeared further north.

The storm is believed to have picked up dust from the Sahara and debris from forest fires in Spain and Portugal as it travelled towards the UK.

This caused the sun to appear red and created an atmospheric orange glow across the West Country and Bristol.

The sun tries to break through as the effects of Hurricane Ophelia (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Bristol resident Simon Gallowway tweeted: “Weird Sun over #Bristol right now. Looking like something from Star Wars.”

Emma Cope wrote: “Urmm I don’t want to alarm anyone but the sun is pink! Is this the end of the world?”

Ophelia has pulled in unseasonably warm air up from Spain and North Africa, bringing temperatures in the early 20s over the weekend.

Huge forest fires have also swept across central Portugal and west central Spain, killing at least nine people and filling the sky with ash and smoke.

Neil Pugh of a red sun spotted in the sky over Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, which was caused by Storm Ophelia. Picture: Neil Pugh/PA

The finer particles of that ash will have already been blown over the Bay of Biscay and is currently filling the upper atmosphere over Bristol and the south west.

The Met Office is investigating several reports of the mysterious phenomenon.

A spokesman said: “We’re getting reports from Devon and Cornwall and to see this kind of report from Bristol is very interesting.

“It’s something we’re investigating, it could well be the cause for this.”