London sky goes eerily dark in second day of Storm Ophelia dust phenomenon

Storm Ophelia has cast a gloomy sky over London
Jeremy Selwyn
Chloe Chaplain17 October 2017

London was shrouded in darkness again on the second day of a dust phenomenon caused by Storm Ophelia.

Sky-watchers described the atmosphere as “apocalyptic” as disrupted weather systems from the storm tinted the clouds above the capital a dark sepia colour.

Pictures taken from the viewing platform on the Shard showed the gloomy clouds blanketing the sprawling city on Tuesday afternoon.

One Londoner described the atmosphere across the city as “spooky", and several commented that it was akin to a “partial eclipse”.

Journalist Gianluca Mezzofiore shared images of the Piccadilly Circus billboards lit up against the dark sky.

Spectators gathered at Primrose Hill to marvel at the view over London for a second day running.

On Monday, skies above London were tinged orange after dust from Africa and southern Europe was pulled up by the storm.

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A health warning had been issued amid fears that the dust could return, posing a serious risk to asthma sufferers.

According to experts at the Met Office, the spectacle is caused by the storm pushing warm air from Africa northwards which carries Saharan dust.

As the air moved north towards Ireland and the UK, it gathered smoke and tiny debris from recent wildfires in Spain and Portugal.

Sonia Munde, head of the helpline at Asthma UK, said: "We are deeply concerned about the toxic air from Saharan dust that Hurricane Ophelia has churned up, as this could pose a severe risk for the 5.4 million people in the UK who have asthma.

"Winds picking up dust and particles in the air could trigger potentially fatal asthma attacks."

View: people gathered at top of Primrose Hill
Jeremy Selwyn

Three people were killed as the storm swept across the UK and Ireland on Monday and Tuesday.

Road and rail services in Scotland were thrown into turmoil as the former hurricane continued its destructive path after hitting Ireland.

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One woman was killed in the south of the country when a tree fell on her car in the storm.

Later, a man in Ravensdale, Dundalk, died later in similar circumstances, while another man in his 30s was killed in a chainsaw accident in Cahir, Co Tipperary, as he tried to remove a tree torn down by the storm.

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