The sky over some areas of Florida last night, at sunset, has acquired an amazingly beautiful (and slightly creepy) colour shades of purple and violet. It happened after hurricane Dorian went around the state.
Purple skies after #Dorian passed by Jacksonville today. Do you think there’s a chance Dorian was a fan of Prince? pic.twitter.com/mpeM3bsVXo
— Amy Pope-Latham, LCSW (@coastalBtherapy) September 5, 2019
Local residents share photographs of the sky in social networks, some expressed their joy that the storm had passed the sunshine state.
«Our little piece of Florida survived the hurricane Dorian gray, and tonight we got that purple sky!» – wrote in social networks a resident of Saint Augustine — the city on the northeast coast of Florida.
The sky was literally purple tonight, very cool post-hurricane effect. #Dorian https://t.co/rvEXDxTTyt pic.twitter.com/W1diR0XZTp
Emory Cook (@BlueHelm) September 5, 2019
Experts say that the strange colour of the sky and clouds is the result of how the light of the sun scatters in a special way through a hurricane storm clouds.
«This is an ordinary sunset, but now low clouds under the storm, which distort the colors of a normal sunset, making it purple, like you’re looking through a filter,» said First Coast News expert on storms Steve Fundaro.
News SMI2
In some areas of Florida, the same phenomenon occurred after last year’s hurricane «Michael» — the first hurricane of the 5th category, that hit the United States since Andrew in 1992
«Our view has limitations. Our eyes generally can’t see the purple wave — the shortest in the spectrum — that is why the sky usually appears blue, as these waves are scattered in all directions. But hurricanes provide a unique blend of conditions that allow us to see multiple purple light,» said meteorologist Lauren Rautenkranz.
Now Dorian, after a short weakening increased to the 3rd category and moves to Carolina.
