Don’t panic, but London’s about to get battered by a Saharan sandstorm

If you’re one of the millions of Londoners already slapping on the sunscreen ahead of the Ibiza-levels of sunshine bound for the capital this weekend, then you may want to hold fire. There’s a bit of news coming your way that’s about to rain on your parade.

Just as the mercury is set to rise to a sweltering 26C, London has been warned of an oncoming lung-clogging sand cloud that’s scheduled to arrive today, thanks to strong south-easterly winds carrying a portion of the Saharan desert into the city over the next four days.

The sandstorm, which will create hazy visibility and coat the city in a thin layer of red dust, brings with it fresh health concerns for those with asthma, lung and heart problems. A spokesman from Defra has recommended that anyone with respiratory concerns should avoid strenuous outdoor activity during the sandy episode.

“This does tend to happen during the change in temperature around spring time,” the spokesman said. “Levels are expected to fall after the weekend.”

For those of you that haven’t seen the forecast, “after the weekend” also means “when the city gets rained on for a solid six days”.

Oh, brilliant.

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