Why the skies are turning red over Britain

Smoke from wildfires across the Atlantic will bring spectacular colour to sunsets and sunrises this week

Britain is expected to experience rare “red” sunrises and sunsets over the next few days because of smoke from wildfires in North America.
While warm summer conditions and mostly blue skies are expected to continue in the UK this week, the conditions are not as clear as they normally are this time of year.
Wildfires in North America – which have burned more than 2.2 million acres in the northern United States and Canada – have contributed to hazy and smoky skies across Europe, including the UK.
Smoke particles in the atmosphere absorb shorter wavelengths, which normally reflect colours such as blue, leaving longer wavelengths on the light spectrum, for colours such as red, to reach our eyes.
The end result will be more visibly red sunrises and sunsets over the start of the week, according to meteorologists.
“Luckily, because the smoke particles are so high up in our atmosphere, they won’t have an impact on our health, but they could enhance our sunsets and sunrises this weekend,” Kirsty McCabe, a Sky News meteorologist, said.
“Unfortunately, these events are becoming more common, as climate change is linked to heatwaves and droughts, leading to earlier, longer, and more intense wildfire seasons.”
The US National Interagency Fire Center said on Sunday there were 65 large active wildfires burning across the country which were being fought by 522 crew, 1065 fire engines and 124 helicopters.
Firefighting crews from Australia and New Zealand have been brought in to help fight the fires, which cover 2,220,714 acres.
Meanwhile, another weather system in North America, Hurricane Ernesto, is expected to affect the UK by the middle of the week, bringing wet and windy conditions, especially in the north.
The Met Office has forecast up to 150mm of rain in a day to hit parts of Scotland from Wednesday.
Hurricane Ernesto has battered parts of Puerto Rico and Bermuda – with maximum winds of 85 miles per hour leaving thousands of people without power.
But it has now been downgraded to a tropical storm which will still bring lots of rain and winds of up to 60 miles per hour to Scotland, the Met Office said.
The Met Office said there could be delays to public transport, and flooding on roads, as well as potential power cuts and flooding in homes and businesses.
There is also a small chance that the spring tide will generate large waves that could result in injuries and a danger to life in coastal areas on Wednesday and Thursday.
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said even though Hurricane Ernesto was being downgraded its effects will still be felt in the northern parts of the UK.
“Because the tropical systems just have so much warmth and a lot of moisture in them, remnants of the warmth and remnants of the moisture will be still there in that weather system on Wednesday and Thursday, so it will enhance the rainfall,” he said