During an unprecedented storm, the sky in Dubai (UAE) suddenly turned green, and the atmosphere seemed to be enveloped in a layer of dust. This image alarmed many people, resembling scenes from disaster movies. So, how can this phenomenon be explained?
Dubai (UAE) has experienced a “historic weather event” over the past few days, with the heaviest rainfall in 75 years, according to the UAE weather agency. The heavy rain caused flooding, severely impacting road traffic and flights, and disrupting many daily activities.
Among the images depicting the unprecedented flooding in Dubai—a city often described as “perfectly picturesque” with its typically hot and dry desert climate—several videos quickly circulated showing the sky turning green amidst the storm.
This is a fast-forward video showing the sky changing from gray to green in Dubai:
Source: Mister J.
Many internet users expressed shock at this sight, finding the unusual green sky frightening and questioning whether it was caused by any strange substances in the air. Some suggested that this phenomenon occurs before a storm.
According to Fox News, this is not due to pollution or chemicals; rather, the color change of the sky is a result of light scattering. Specifically, “the water/ice particles in storm clouds, when present in sufficient quantity, will essentially emit blue light. When red light from the atmosphere hits these water/ice droplets in the clouds, the clouds can appear to emit green light.”
A bus stands in the rain as the sky turns green in Dubai. (Photo: Hindustan Times).
Weather researcher Scott Bachmeier stated that green clouds are typically indicative of thunderstorm or hail conditions, but they do not necessarily guarantee that a storm will occur.
