Parts of the country may see “blood rain” this week as heavy thunderstorms mix with a dust cloud, forecasters say.

Red or orange rain could fall, as downpours, lightning, strong winds, and hail move in.

According to the Met Office, “blood rain” occurs when relatively high concentrations of red coloured dust or particles get mixed with rain, giving it a red appearance as it falls.

It comes as a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms was issued for Wednesday evening to the early hours of Thursday for the East of England.

%image(14379073, type="article-full", alt="The "blood rain" could cause a similar effect to the clouds of Saharan dust that hit the UK in March and April")

The Met Office has warned that spray and sudden flooding could cause dangerous driving conditions and road closures.

There is also a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded due to floodwater or lightning strikes.

The "blood rain" could cause a similar effect to the clouds of Saharan dust that hit the UK in March and April this year – leaving cars covered in streaky brown marks.

Richard Miles, of the Met Office, said: "There are some dust concentrations in the atmosphere above the UK at present which might well be washed out in the rain tonight, but it’s likely to be relatively small amounts on the whole."