Dust from the Sahara Desert dumped over parts of Ireland as airmass passes over

Yes, all the way from Africa.

Some people were wondering why their cars are covered in red-coloured dirt over the last couple of days.

It's because a dust laden airmass is moving over Ireland, dumping dust over parts of the country. The Easter weekend's hot weather has brought the dust from the Sahara Desert, which was dispersed over parts of Ireland over the weekend and early this week.

Saharan dust is not uncommon in Europe but is rarer in Ireland and the UK, but when the perfect mix of winds and big dust storms happen to coincide, it can lead to it spreading across continents.

In this case, strong southerly winds caused the dust to track up over Europe and Ireland. BBC weather forecaster Kawser Quamer said: "This dust has been lifted in the Sahara by strong winds up to very high altitudes and then carried hundreds of miles to us thanks to the recent mild southerly airflow. "The fine particles of sand get caught in rain droplets in clouds, falling to the ground when it rains. When the water evaporates, a thin layer of dust is left on surfaces, like cars as we have seen, not just in Scotland but across much of the UK and Europe too.

In certain weather situations, Saharan dust can also affect air pollution and pollution levels.

The EPA warned that the EU Copernicus forecast system is predicting poor air quality for areas of Ireland from the dust laden airmass moving over Ireland. The dust can cause problems for people who are vulnerable to poor air quality, such as those who have asthma.