Residents and internet users in the Chinese city of Haikou were in awe of a rainbow cloud. Even though the rainbow cloud’s scientific name is pileus, some individuals have connected the phenomenon to ‘the Rapture described in the Bible.’
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The video was captured on August 21 in the Chinese city of Haikou, which is located in the Hainan Province. The clouds appeared incredibly beautiful and had what appeared to be a rainbow-colored crown. The view astounded both city dwellers and users of social media.
Rainbow colored scarf cloud over Haikou city in China pic.twitter.com/ewKmQjsiIE
— Sunlit Rain (@Earthlings10m) August 26, 2022
A netizen remarked that it was insane. Like a cloud and a rainbow had a child. Another netizen said that if he saw this in real life, his whole life would change. Others connected it to the biblical rapture. One individual wrote that if he had seen this and he was home alone, he would have undoubtedly thought the rapture come and gone and God leave him. Someone else said that it was wonderful. Religions were born out of situations like this.
The air surrounding a cumuliform tower can form pileus clouds when it rises so swiftly that, when it reaches its dew point, it condenses into a smooth umbrella or hood-like shape. As a result, they frequently serve as warning signs for severe weather. A pileus located on top of a cumulus cloud frequently portends the cloud’s change into a cumulonimbus cloud because it denotes a vigorous updraft inside the cloud.
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The Pileus’ rainbow-like colors result from light reflection between the ice crystals and droplets of the cloud when the sun is at the ideal angle. However, these clouds normally only exist for a short while. This is because the cloud above them is “eating” them up, while Pileus is convectively absorbed by the lower cloud. Cloud-spotters love to find pileus clouds. They aren’t particularly common, but on days when you may expect cumulus clouds to develop into thunderstorms, you can spot them if you know where to look.
Even though pileus cloud formations rarely survive for more than a few minutes, if you’re lucky enough to view one, they can be quite beautiful. They should not be confused with their close relative, the lenticular cloud. While pileus clouds are a component of cumuliform clouds, lenticular clouds exist independently. Because of its recognizable UFO form and rounded edges, lenticular clouds—so named because they resemble lentils—can be easily differentiated from other cloud species.
