Bizarre blood-red skies have been observed in both Greece, the European holiday destination, and Australia in the Southern Hemisphere. Sand dust carried from deserts and powerful storms have caused casualties and infrastructure damage.
The sky over the Greek island of Crete turned blood-red due to sand dust blown in from the Sahara Desert in Africa, BBC and other international outlets reported on Friday. Sand particles blocked and refracted sunlight, creating an unusual phenomenon that made surroundings appear red even in broad daylight.
Local residents and tourists had to wear masks to protect their respiratory systems. Visibility dropped sharply, disrupting some flight operations. Authorities issued a red weather warning through Friday night, primarily for the western and southern parts of Crete.
Near the capital Athens, storms accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain caused further damage. Widespread flooding forced school closures and halted ferry services. Local media reported that a man died after being swept away by floodwaters in Nea Makri, a coastal town near Athens. The basement of a police station was also reportedly flooded.
On Poros island, a bridge collapsed and vehicles were swept away, prompting school closures. Greek fire authorities said they received 674 rescue requests over the two days spanning Tuesday and Wednesday. Greece's meteorological service warned that prolonged heavy rain and storms could continue across most of the country.
A similar "red sky" phenomenon was recently observed in Australia. On March 27, the sky in the Shark Bay area turned blood-red, coloring the entire surroundings. Caravon Park in the area posted on social media: "Outside is unbelievably eerie. Everything is covered in dust," sharing images of the scene.
The phenomenon is believed to have been caused by Tropical Cyclone Narelle. Experts analyzed that strong winds passing over arid terrain lifted dust and iron particles into the atmosphere, which reacted with sunlight to produce the pronounced red color. The effect was amplified because red light, with its longer wavelength, passes through the atmosphere more easily, they explained.
Tom Gill, a professor of environmental engineering at the University of Texas, said it was "the reddest event I've ever seen." He added: "Tropical cyclones usually bring heavy rain, so they rarely cause dust storms. But in this case, strong winds passing over dry desert terrain appear to have triggered the dust storm."
In Australia, conditions returned to normal relatively quickly. The park said: "The skies cleared again within 48 hours. We are still cleaning up dust that has piled up in various places."
