Red sunsets due

I was watching the weather forecast and the smoke from the forest fires in Canada has risen in the atmosphere and had been carried by the jet stream up across the Atlantic and towards the UK. The smoke particles are not low enough to cause breathing problems, but they are in the right place to scatter the light more at sunrise and sunset. This should result in brighter red and orange skies in the morning and evenings.

A similar phenomenon happened when Krakatoa erupted in the 19th Century. Then the volcanic dust that was swept into the sky caused changes in the evening light and blue moons being reported. We have to realise how interconnected the world is.

Red sky this morning

This photo doesn’t do it justice. I don’t have a great view of the horizon because its obscured by trees and buildings, and the window needs clearing of ivy that is growing around it. There was a yellowish gap in the clouds where the sky was visible, then bars of orange/red clouds lay across it, like sand bars in a shallow sea. Have you ever looked up at the sky and thought it was mimicking an ocean view? It was like that. The best time I ever saw that illusion was when we were driving down to Dorset. We were climbing a big hill and the sunset appeared over the peak of the hill. It looked like the sea with land protruding into it. As we reached the summit the real sea became visible and the sky looked as if the sea was reflected in it. All pinks and golds and bars of lavender grey. We had a lovely week away.

Autumn sky

The nights are ‘drawing in’, Autumn (fall) starts officially on Wednesday this week. The weather is set to get colder. There will be a change to it, mist and fogs are due, rain and wind, even some storms.

This photo was taken a few nights ago, high pressure over the UK and a red sky in the evening indicating settled warm weather.

Even if we had long term weather forecasts they are never that accurate here in the UK. The air over us is unstable, affected by the ocean, the Arctic, weather over Europe and coming in from the East over Russia. If you want interesting, rapidly changing weather come to the UK.

Storm warning

Storm warning. There is a storm in the bay of biscay heading our way. Expect a red sky in the morning and a swirl of rain edging up the country. Some flooding and fallen trees expected. Nice, just when I was hoping for late summer sun! The wind will blow and we shall have? Storms! I had such plans a seaside trip, gentle tides, a sea view, seagulls wheeling. But maybe next week it will be better….