Red sun phenomenon 'caused by Hurricane Ophelia'

Red sun phenomenon 'caused by Hurricane Ophelia'

The "unusual" reddish sky and red-looking sun is a result of Hurricane Ophelia.

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.

Met Office Chief Forecaster Paul Gundersen said: “Ophelia weakened on Sunday night and is now no longer classified as a hurricane.

"That said, storm force to hurricane force winds of up to 80mph across Northern Ireland, and some areas bordering the Irish Sea will result in travel disruption, power cuts and some damage to buildings such as tiles being blown from roofs.

“National Severe Weather Warnings are in place for Northern Ireland, and other western and northern parts of Britain for Monday afternoon and evening and everyone in these areas should prepare for longer travel journeys and ensure they take the necessary precautions to ensure they and their families and property are safe.”

The rest of the UK will have a windy day, but wind gusts are not expected to bring widespread disruption.