Saharan dust coats cars in Preston and Lancashire

Saharan dust has left cars dirty across the city Pic: Blog Preston

Motorists across Preston awoke to find the heatwave had brought a coating of dust.

Many places saw showers overnight and in the early morning on Thursday (7 September) and the Met Office says the ‘dirty rain’ is due to Saharan dust.

The city is currently in the grip of an official heatwave with temperatures reaching nearly 30 degrees in the day and then up in the low 20s overnight.

Need some famous Preston rain to wash the cars clean again Pic: Blog Preston

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “As in other parts of the world, the wind can blow strongly over deserts – whipping up dust and sand high into the sky. 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.

“Saharan dust is relatively common in the UK often happening several times a year when big dust storms in the Sahara coincide with southerly wind patterns. In certain weather situations, Saharan dust can also affect air pollution and pollution levels.”