Saharan dust has swept across southern England as residents awoke to orange skies on Wednesday.

Sand whipped up by winds in the desert has been blown over Europe, reaching as far north as the southern part of the UK, lending an eerie orange tone to the sunlight.

The dust particles sit about two kilometres above ground and filter out blue light from the sun, leading the light that does get through to have an orange tone.

Met Office meteorologists said the sand would fall in rain forecast on Wednesday afternoon and evening, meaning cars and streets could end up coated with the orange dust. They added that there was no risk to public health.

The phenomenon happens a few times a year in the UK and can cause poor air quality, but its convergence with the wet weather means it won’t affect pollution levels this time, the Met Office said.