October 16, 2017 1.47 pm This story is over 76 months old

Why is the sky above Lincoln orange?

An unusual red sun, described by some as “apocalyptic”, has baffled Lincoln residents today. The eerie orange hue is rather pleasant against autumnal city scenes, but it’s no Holloween trick. Forecasters have been wading in to explain the phenomenon. Apparently, the red sun is due to the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia pushing tropical air and…

An unusual red sun, described by some as “apocalyptic”, has baffled Lincoln residents today.

The eerie orange hue is rather pleasant against autumnal city scenes, but it’s no Holloween trick. Forecasters have been wading in to explain the phenomenon.

Apparently, the red sun is due to the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia pushing tropical air and dust from the Sahara.

Photo: The Lincolnite

Added to debris from forest fires in Portugal and Spain, the dust is causing light to refract in longer wavelengths, making the sun seem red.

The Met Office said: “An interesting phenomena that is a result of the movement of ex-Ophelia is the colour of the sky and the sun this morning (Monday), and dust on cars.

Photo: Hazel Redmile

Photo: Hazel Redmile

“The same southerly winds that have brought us the current warmth have also drawn dust from the Sahara to our latitudes and the dust scatters the blue light from the sun letting more red light through much as at sunrise or sunset.”

Photo: Jānis Geseltiņš

The strange red sun has been spotted up and down the country and is creating quite a talking point. Many are taking to social media to share their pictures and comments on the phenomenon, including Lincolnshire’s Red Arrows pilots.

https://twitter.com/RAFRed10/status/919898682375528448

https://twitter.com/cmogg623/status/919892392202919936