On the afternoon of May 12, the sky over Ho Chi Minh City displayed rainbow clouds for an extended period. Many people found it delightful, while some expressed concern that it might indicate unusual weather.
In a conversation with a reporter on the morning of May 13, Mr. Lê Đình Quyết – head of the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center – explained that the phenomenon of rainbow clouds is classified as a optical phenomenon.
Rainbow clouds resembling silk draped across the sky of Ho Chi Minh City on May 12 – (Photo: ÁI NHÂN).
“This is a natural phenomenon that is not too rare. Occasionally, this phenomenon occurs in the atmosphere when small cloud droplets or ice crystals scatter light.
The colors in these clouds do not resemble the rainbow phenomenon (7 colors) according to the solar spectrum. Rainbow clouds can sometimes be faint and sometimes very vivid.
With the rainbow phenomenon, we can only observe it when our back is turned to the sun. Rainbows typically appear in the morning or late afternoon at an observation angle of 42 degrees, often right after it has rained. In contrast, rainbow clouds can be observed from a wider range at any position,” Mr. Quyết analyzed.
After the appearance of the rainbow clouds, various opinions emerged on social media, suggesting that this might signal impending unusual weather: “It is very likely due to ash and SO2 from volcanoes in Indonesia reaching Vietnam”; “Russia has recently reported a strong solar storm in the last 20 years about to hit Earth. This could be some images marking the beginning of a series of solar storms coming in”…
Regarding these comments, Mr. Quyết affirmed that the rainbow clouds are merely a meteorological phenomenon. The appearance of rainbow clouds does not indicate any signs of upcoming weather changes.
Concerning the concern about “possible ash and SO2 from volcanoes in Indonesia,” experts have confirmed to reporters that there is no basis to conclude a “SO₂ storm entering Vietnam.”
“Over the years, Vietnam has never recorded a phenomenon known as ‘SO2 storm’ from Indonesian volcanoes. Moreover, considering the distance between the two countries, any SO2 from Indonesian volcanoes, if it were to reach Vietnam, would have been significantly diluted. Therefore, there is no need for the public to worry too much,” emphasized GS.TS Trần Thục – president of the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Association, in an interview with Tuổi Trẻ Online on May 11.
(Photo: HUỲNH PHÚ VINH).
Experts also confirmed that the rainbow clouds are unrelated to solar storms that caused auroras in the Northern Hemisphere recently.
Will there be heavy rain following the rainbow clouds? Ms. Lê Thị Xuân Lan – former deputy head of the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center – explained: “There is a lot of moisture in the clouds, so after the rainbow clouds, there could be rain and thunderstorms.”
However, since the rainbow clouds appeared yesterday, there are currently no signs that rain or thunderstorms will occur. If it rains today or in the coming days, it would be a normal phenomenon as the Southern region is entering the rainy season.
Many people delighted by the rainbow clouds in Ho Chi Minh City stopped their cars to take photos – (Photo: Facebook artist Hồng Vân).
Photo of rainbow clouds on the fanpage I Love Astronomy.
A unique phenomenon that has intrigued many – (Photo: DINH THUONG).
Rainbow clouds viewed from Thu Duc City – (Photo: MINH HÒA).
The rainbow cloud layer is a thin edge of the cloud, with the sun behind it – (Photo: MINH HÒA).
Rainbow clouds in the Aeon Bình Tân area – (Photo: LÊ THÀNH HUY).
Rainbow clouds viewed from District 4 – (Photo: NGA NGUYỄN).
