Rare fire rainbow phenomena spotted near NC coast after muggy, stormy weather: NWS

NEWPORT, N.C. (WNCN) — After a muggy day on the North Carolina coast, people saw a shimmering fire rainbow in the sky.

The coastal National Weather Service location posted a photo of the rare phenomenon on social media Tuesday, explaining how fire rainbows are made.

“While fire rainbows look similar to a rainbow, the process by which they are created is slightly different,” the agency said.

According to experts, a fire rainbow appears through thin cirrus clouds when sunlight bends and spreads across small water droplets — which is known as a diffraction. It is usually horizontal, lining up with the clouds that help form it.

This is different than a common rainbow, which experts said light changes direction when it hits water droplets — hence the round shape a rainbow forms.

Photos shared by a CBS 17 viewer shows the fire rainbow shining through the cloudy sky as cirrus and other storm clouds passed above their gas station.