Simon's Blog - Upside Down Rainbows

What a surprise. No rain but a rainbow. And it's upside down!!

There was a flurry of excitement in my mereidiaweather@itv.com inbox last night as Paul and Debbie weren't the only people to spot one.

Janice said in her email "Very magical. Guess it has something to do with ice crystals high up in the atmosphere" and do you know she's bang on the money.

The phenomenon is known as a Circumzenithal arc and instead of rain to make a normal rainbow, it’s ice crystals usually in cirrus clouds that the sun gets refracted through.

A rare and exciting sight. Although not that rare last night it seems!!

One last circumzenithal arc treat though...