Science & Technology

Britain warned to brace for peculiar downpours of 'blood rain'

By T.K. Randall
February 23, 2026

Image: Westminster Palace
Credit: David Castor / (PD) With some parts of the UK having been subjected to rain every single day this year so far, it would seem as though things couldn't get any worse.

According to meteorologists, however, an unusual phenomenon could soon see rain showers across the country turn a distinctive red color - something that is sometimes referred to as 'blood rain'.

Of course there isn't actually blood in it - instead, the red hue comes from the desert sands of the Sahara which have recently been swept up in a giant plume that is heading toward the country.When the dust mixes with the rainwater, it can turn it a strange red color.

"Our latest forecast indicates that it will mostly pass over southern England and the Channel at higher altitudes in the atmosphere but may result in some wet deposition at ground level if it mixes with weather forecasts also showing some rain," Mark Parrington of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) told Mail Online.

In the past, showers of so-called 'blood rain' had been perceived as a sign from the gods, or even a portent of doom - a foreshadowing of some impending apocalyptic event.

Even though we now understand what causes it, anyone who isn't expecting it will likely still get something of a surprise if suddenly caught out in such a downpour.

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Rain