We’re used to grey skies over Huddersfield - with the occasional blue one if we’re lucky.

But the town this morning was greeted with an odd orange tinted sky - and the reason why is fascinating.

The sky turns a peculiar shade of orange over Bradley, Huddersfield

The rusty tint is actually down to sands from the deserts in Southern Europe and the Sahara which have been swept across by ex-Hurricane Ophelia, the Manchester Evening News reports.

The phenomena has effected parts of the entire country with people on the South Coast seemingly experiencing it most of all.

Huddersfield weather expert Paul Stevens said the orange glow to the skies is Saharan dust and sand high up in the atmosphere.

He said that winds over the weekend had travelled 3,500 miles from the Saharan desert, adding: “We can tell they have come from the mid Saharan desert by the colour which is a strange orange tan.

Weatherman Paul Stevens

“It's high up in the atmosphere but it will not cause any health problems.”

Paul did say people will have to wash their cars though as they will get coated in the dust as it comes down to earth.

Dr Dave Reynolds, from The Weather Channel, said: “Winds were strong over Iberia on Sunday, which has resulted in dust from there being raised and then blown to the UK on a strong south to south-westerly flow. Some of the dust may be particulates from the fires, although I think regular fine-grained dust would account for the majority.”

Also down South, people have noticed a strange smell reportedly due to Ophelia.

Ophelia is due to hit the UK at some point with amber wind warnings issued for Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland and Wales while the South Coast has a yellow warning, as well as here in the North West. This has resulted in numerous flights being cancelled from Ryanair, Aer Lingus and even British Airways.

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