Current:Home > ScamsSee the rare rainbow cloud that just formed over Ireland and England -GrowthInsight
See the rare rainbow cloud that just formed over Ireland and England
View
Date:2025-04-15 14:42:08
The skies above Dublin, Ireland, and northeast England became a spectacular site of "utterly transfixing" iridescent lights Thursday morning. Rare "rainbow clouds" formed in the early morning, creating waves of yellows, pinks and blues above homes.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Protecting the Planet - CBS News (@cbsnewsplanet)
Locals took videos of the clouds, which give the sky an almost oil slick-like sheen. According to NOAA, the phenomenon is "relatively rare" and only happens when a cloud is thin and full of water droplets or ice crystals.
"I was lucky enough to spend time with some very rare nacreous clouds this morning appearing & evanescing near Swords, north county Dublin," said one person who posted a video of the clouds on social media. "Utterly transfixing & mesmerising."
What causes a rainbow cloud to form?
These colorful clouds, also known as nacreous clouds, tend to form over polar regions in the lower stratosphere between 68,500 and 100,000 feet in the air, the U.K.'s Met Office says. They occur when the sun is just below the horizon and illuminates the clouds from below.
Rainbow clouds are filled with ice particles that the Met Office says are "much smaller than those that form more common clouds," and when the light hits them, it scatters, creating the bright colors.
"When that happens, the sun's rays encounter just a few droplets at a time," NOAA says. "For this reason, semi-transparent clouds or clouds that are just forming are the ones most likely to have iridescence."
When clouds such as this formed over Virginia last year, The Weather Channel meteorologist Jen Carfagno told CBS News that it's reminiscent "of pixie dust or unicorn sprinkles."
Rainbow clouds are most visible when the sun lies between 1º and 6º below the horizon, the Met Office says, and are usually found at higher latitudes, including northern Canada. Because they only form in temperatures below -108 degrees Fahrenheit, they're also most likely to occur during polar winter, the office added, and "are associated mostly with very cold and dry weather."
- In:
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Dublin
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.
veryGood! (5)
Related
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Why Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito Once Contemplated Arranging His Own Murder
- What Each Zodiac Sign Needs for Taurus Season, According to Your Horoscope
- 'Tortured Poets' release live updates: Taylor Swift explains new album
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- AP Explains: 4/20 grew from humble roots to marijuana’s high holiday
- Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis mourns death of his wife, who appeared with him in franchise's final film
- Donna Kelce, Brittany Mahomes and More Are Supporting Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department
- Former Milwaukee hotel workers charged with murder after video shows them holding down Black man
- Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' is boosting many different industries. Here are few
Ranking
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Taylor Swift's collab with Florence + The Machine 'Florida!!!' is 'one hell of a drug'
- Indianapolis official La Keisha Jackson to fill role of late state Sen. Jean Breaux
- Phish at the Sphere: All the songs they played on opening night in Las Vegas
- Olympic disqualification of gold medal hopeful exposes 'dark side' of women's wrestling
- 'The Black Dog' in Taylor Swift song is a real bar in London
- Model Iskra Lawrence Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 2 With Boyfriend Philip Payne
- 'Tortured Poets' release live updates: Taylor Swift explains new album
Recommendation
US auto safety agency seeks information from Tesla on fatal Cybertruck crash and fire in Texas
'Ghosts' on CBS sees Hetty's tragic death and Flower's stunning return: A Season 3 update
Probe underway into highway school bus fire that sent 10 students fleeing in New Jersey
How to write a poem: 11 prompts to get you into Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets Department'
Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
'Like a large drone': NASA to launch Dragonfly rotorcraft lander on Saturn's moon Titan
Get 90% Off J.Crew, $211 Off NuFACE Toning Devices, $150 Off Le Creuset Pans & More Weekend Deals
Pennsylvania board’s cancellation of gay actor’s school visit ill-advised, education leaders say