In addition to red rain, dust can also turn the sky red. Barrington said: "A visibility value of 1 usually indicates hazy skies, and the values in the smoke plume are relatively high". If winds in the upper atmosphere blow northward, the dust can reach the UK. Once strong winds lift it from the ground, dust clouds can reach great heights and travel around the world, covering thousands of miles. While this may sound frightening, Barrington reassures people that this phenomenon occurs frequently. Barrington explained: "A large flow of dust aerosol toward the North Atlantic is not uncommon at this time of year. Seasonal biomass fires in equatorial Africa typically peak between January and March, and the Harmattan winds carry dust from the Sahara across the ocean". He added: "The intensity of this particular event is noteworthy, as our forecasts predict a dust plume will reach northwestern Europe". According to the meteorological monitoring center, the dust is likely to reach the UK next Tuesday, where it will mix with rain, forming what is known as "blood rain". Barrington said: "It will likely pass through for about two hours on Tuesday afternoon". He added: "Our latest forecasts extend through the end of Tuesday, but there are some indications that more dust could move through southern England on Wednesday". This cloud is mostly composed of Saharan dust, along with some smoke from seasonal biomass burning in equatorial Africa. As in other parts of the world, winds can blow strongly over deserts, lifting dust and sand high into the sky. Britons are awaiting "scary bloody rains" expected to hit them in the coming days, as weather services have tried to warn and downplay the event to calm people. According to UK authorities, a cloud of red desert dust from Europe is set to sweep across Britain, causing what scientists call "blood rain" next Tuesday. These are red, dusty rains that look contaminated with blood. He added: "Therefore, the sky may appear more red or orange during Tuesday evening". The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) warned in a report published by the British newspaper 'Daily Mail' that Britain is set to experience bloody rain, attributing it to a cloud of red Saharan dust moving across Europe toward the UK. Mark Barrington, head scientist at the Atmosphere and Ocean Monitoring Center, said: "Our latest forecasts suggest this storm will mostly pass over southern England and the English Channel at high altitudes in the atmosphere, but it could cause wet deposition at the surface if it mixes with other weather forecasts indicating rain". The (CAMS) center is tracking the large dust plume as it crosses the North Atlantic.
