Brits could be plunged into holiday hell after forecasters warned that several major holiday hotspots in Spain could be hit with ‘blood rain’ – the conditions could spark travel disruption
British tourists who are planning to jet off to Spain have been warned that their flights could be cancelled due to horrifying “blood rain”.
The weather alerts, which practically cover the entire country, could spark issues for travellers who already suffer from lung and breathing problems. Holidaymakers have been further warned that the dust could hinder visibility due to the orange haze it leaves in the atmosphere.
Brits have been told to prepare for travel chaos as some flights may need to be cancelled or delayed in response to the strange phenomenon. It comes after the cooler Spanish hotspots were hit with a heatwave, with temperatures surging into the 30s in some areas.
However, the change has also produced a new episode of Saharan dust, known as a calima, which will cover Spain for up to three days. Weather experts say that as some locations are still seeing rain, the water will merge with the dust to produce “blood rain”. The invasion of haze will take over the country until Monday.
According to Marta Almarcha on the eltiempo.es weather portal, the Saharan dust will not be limited only to the Iberian Peninsula, as it will affect other European countries. As of today, the entry of haze from the south will already be noticeable, also affecting the eastern Canary Islands. The place where there will be the most dust will be Andalusia, although on this day the concentrations will still be low.
On Saturday the presence of African dust in the air will intensify, which will continue to enter from the south and leave that characteristic orange hue in almost the entire peninsula and the Balearic Islands. According to Marta Almarcha, the arrival of haze will be so intense that it may even reach the Scandinavian peninsula, traditionally sheltered from this type of phenomenon.
On Sunday, the situation will become even more evident, and will fully affect the south and centre of the peninsula, especially Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and Madrid. People with respiratory ailments should observe the necessary precautions in these cases, especially in those parts of Spain where the haze is going to be intense and persistent.
Forecasts predict that the suspended dust will not clear up until Monday, when an Atlantic front pushes it eastward and the winds change. For this reason, on Monday afternoon some communities will see the presence of haze intensify, as will be the case in the Valencian community, the Balearic Islands and even Catalonia.
