Saharan dust which turns the skies orange and pink could hit the UK today, forecasters have said.

The Met Office has warned the dust cloud, which is 2km above ground level, may fall during showers in southern parts of the country this afternoon (March 16).

The Saharan dust has made its way across Europe, with satellite images showing the dust over parts of France and southern Spain.

Weather experts say the impact from the dust is "unlikely" to be significant and it is expected to be most visible at sunset.

Richard Miles, of the Met Office, said: “Storm Celia over Spain is indeed pulling a dust cloud up from the Sahara, which could potentially reach as far as the south of the UK.

“However, we don’t expect significant impacts – the most likely would be on the cloudscapes at sunset, but as conditions are likely to be generally overcast and wet for much of the day this is unlikely to amount to much. There are no air quality warnings.

“People in the south might find a bit of dust left on their cars as the rain washes it out of the skies today.”