British drivers issued urgent warning of 'blood rain' this week or risk 'long-term damage'

Felix Reeves
Fri, 06 Mar 2026 12:57:25 +0000

Motorists are being warned of weather conditions coming this week that could see them fork out money for repairs and paintwork.

The Met Office has warned that the Saharan dust is spreading across Europe as strong winds are transporting the dust towards the UK.

It suggests that the concentrations will pass close to the UK, although "a brush of dust‑influenced air is likely, particularly affecting southern parts of the country".

Rainfall in the south of England could leave dust deposits on cars and roads, potentially causing issues for motorists.

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The Met Office states that when the Saharan dust mixes with rain, it can lead to a light film of yellow or brown residue on surfaces.

This is commonly referred to as being "blood rain" and can lead to slightly reduced visibility at higher altitudes.

It is especially true if the dust layer is particularly concentrated, with people in the south of England potentially seeing a reddish hue in the sky.

The Met Office issued a specific warning to motorists that they should wait to wash their car as "additional dust pulses" could reach the UK prior to conditions settling.

This has been reiterated by car care experts who have warned motorists to be cautious when cleaning their vehicles following the period of "blood rain".

Paul Coley, technical director at Autoglym, said conventional car washing techniques could lead to fine scratches and swirls being added permanently to the paintwork.

He noted that many car owners could be tempted to clean their cars as soon as they see the "blood rain" left on their vehicles.

However, a typical "contact wash" using a sponge and soapy water could end up "causing more harm than good".

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He continued, saying: "If you find your once clean car suddenly covered in a fine layer of red dust, you are not alone.

"The dust won’t harm your car if left alone, but if you are too eager to remove it, you may cause long-term damage to your paintwork."

Mr Coley emphasised that this would be "very difficult to correct", potentially forcing drivers to require a machine polish.

He also called on people to avoid writing their name in the dust, no matter how tempting it may be, as this can cause fine scratches in the paintwork.

He explained that the "safest way" to wash a car after a blast of Saharan dust would be to "pre-wash" the car, by removing as much of the dirt as possible before physically touching the car.

Drivers with a pressure washer should soak the car with a thick layer of "snow foam" and leave it to settle for a few minutes before rinsing with water.

They should then complete a contact wash using a dedicated car shampoo and a wash mitt. This will capture any particles, rather than pushing them around the surface of the car.

Autoglym suggested: "For best results, the 'two bucket method' is ideal - after each pass across the dirty car, dip the wash mitt into a second bucket filled with clean water to rinse away particles before immersing the mitt back in the wash solution, minimising contamination."