So why are the sun and sky such weird colours?

Countless people across the North East have been left baffled by the strange colours of both the sun and sky today.
A picture taken on Monday afternoon above Alice Street, South Shields, by reader Matthew Heron.A picture taken on Monday afternoon above Alice Street, South Shields, by reader Matthew Heron.
A picture taken on Monday afternoon above Alice Street, South Shields, by reader Matthew Heron.

According to a Met Office Tweet, ex-Hurricane Ophelia has drawn Saharan dust north to the UK and made the sun appear redder than usual before turning the skies a dark yellow.

Some people have said there is a strange burning smell accompanying today's weather phenomenon.

The high winds triggered by Storm Ophelia are predicted to affect the region until the early hours of Tuesday morning when the bad weather will move north.