Bright setting sun

[hatless]

Several times this summer I've been out as the sun has been setting over a low horizon, and as it's slipped into the trees it has been yellow, dazzling and too bright to look at. My memory of sunsets is that the sun typically turns orange or red and becomes dim enough to stare at.

Presumably the amount of dust or water vapour in the atmosphere varies, and I assume this is what changes the appearance of the setting (or rising) sun, but I was surprised by just how bright the sun has been in recent weeks.

Have others noticed this? Are viewing conditions unusual at the moment? Is there a website that monitors atmospheric clarity?