The Met Office has explained a rare weather phenomenon that turned blue skies 'opaque' and grey across parts of the UK. Normally clear blue skies appeared murky due to wildfire smoke drifting south from North America, the Met Office said.
Smoke from Canadian Wildfires
The source of the smoke is Canada, where more than 900 wildfires are currently raging, forcing thousands to evacuate and spreading smoke across North America and large swaths of the Atlantic.
The Met Office said: "Have you noticed an opaqueness to the blue sky this morning? Wildfire smoke from North America is drifting south across the UK, meaning the clear skies may not be as blue as you might expect..."
Weather Forecast
Temperatures have dropped slightly following scorching heatwave conditions earlier this month. The Met Office expects southern regions to peak at around 28°C most days this week, with northern areas around 25-26°C. Conditions should stay "cloudy and cool in the far north" tomorrow with light showers possible, and "dry and sunny elsewhere with some very warm sunshine."
The Met Office forecast adds: "Remaining settled through to Friday with patchy cloud and showers in the north. Very warm in the south. Outbreaks of more widespread rain push into the north on Saturday."
The BBC also says cloudy conditions are expected in northern areas tomorrow, with "sunny spells" in the south and "the odd shower" in the east. For Thursday, BBC forecasters expect another cloudy start in the north with "sunny spells and patchy cloud further south."
The BBC forecast adds: "Friday looks to be dry with sunny spells for most, though northern Scotland will see spells of rain developing. These will push southwards on Saturday, with a few showers developing in the north behind it."
