'Fire Rainbow' Shines Over Singapore
Image credit: Viral Press
A fire rainbow, or circumhorizontal arc, appeared over Singapore recently, stunning bystanders. The rare weather phenomenon lasted 15 minutes, and was visible over the entire island. Fire rainbows occur when light refracts through ice crystals while the sun is at least 58 degrees in the sky. The unique set of circumstances needed for its appearance means that they are most common near the equator or during the height of summer.
Image credit: Viral Press
Onlookers described the iridescent glow as looking like "a portal to another world." Strange meteorological phenomena like this are often interpreted as paranormal, and ascribed to UFOs.
‘I have never seen such a beautiful Mother Nature before. This was totally something amazing," said pet stylist Bernard Ong, who recorded a clip of the weather phenomenon. "Someone said it looks like a UFO,"
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Even knowing the scientific cause behind the event doesn't stop it from evoking deep spiritual feelings in eyewitnesses.
"I was walking towards my bus stop when I found myself in awe of this beautiful cloud and the myriad of colors that were bursting out of it," said Natalie Claudia Wong, 23. "This was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I literally turned on Facebook Live to share the exact moment that I saw it. I was feeling pretty down over the past week, but this immediately lifted my spirits.”
Image credit: Viral Press