My granddaughter sent this photo of a rainbow last week and it really surprised us.
In the 35 years we lived in Illinois, I think we've seen a full rainbow only a handful of times and this is almost.... almost.... faintly a double rainbow. Maybe if you squint.
I was also surprised at the color of the skies. I wondered if KC had manipulated the tints on her iPhone.
Our daughter explained that the reason for the sky color was probably the Saharan Dust Storm.
Seriously? From Africa?
This photo was taken on June 21st by NASA.
Tiffany then sent me these sky photos of the eastern and western skies.
I showed mom the photo of the rainbow in Illinois and she was not impressed.
Well...
She's used to seeing rainbows like these which are pretty common here in Hawaii. We never get tired of seeing them though.
Have your skies been impacted by the Saharan dust storm? Is it causing a breathing problem for you?
One evening the eastern skies opposite the sunset were golden and magical. I understand it was from the Sahara dust.
ReplyDeleteMy son-in-law said it hit our area over last weekend. I must have missed it
ReplyDeleteSo many crazy things going on in the world.
ReplyDeleteLovely rainbows. We sure want rain, here.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about the dust storms here. I think not. We're pretty land-bound.
KC has a cloudless haze. No rainbows. Even some rain doesn't seem to clear the haze, nor make any rainbows here. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteWe haven't seen the dust clouds here. But I never would get bored at any rainbow anywhere. Even brown ones. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe had a gorgeous rainbow last week but didn't attach it to the sand in the air. I didn't think it had made it to east coast yet since it went across to Texas first and then up the continent. Now I'm curious to check to see where it is.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get the pretty sunrises or sets here but the air was thick and hard to breathe. I hear another batch is on the way.
ReplyDeleteCalifornia is too far to be affected by the Saharan dust storm, but we are getting smoke from a brush fire between here and the bay area along the I5 corridor. I get up to stinky air every morning when I go out back to water.
ReplyDeleteIn northeast Ohio I have not seen any skies that seem affected by the Sahara. And I cannot imagine being tired of rainbows!
ReplyDeleteNo dust clouds here in south central Pennsylvania, though seeing a brownish rainbow would be a let-down.
Deleteno rain, rainbow or dust here just hot days and no clouds...going to be 106 next week!
ReplyDeleteRemember when Pinatubo volcano erupted back in the 80s I guess? The skies in Hawaii with fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI just read about the dust storm today just can’t think where, besides on this post. It is surprising.
ReplyDeleteFortunately the dust is not coming this far north. and it if did I think the wind and the rain we're having would wash it all away. It does make pretty sunsets and sunrises though.
ReplyDeleteYes, here in the UK we too can get Saharan Dust …
ReplyDelete"Saharan dust is a mixture of sand and dust from the Sahara, the vast desert area that covers most of North Africa.
As in other parts of the world, the wind can blow strongly over deserts - whipping up dust and sand high into the sky. If the winds in the upper part of the atmosphere are blowing north, the dust can be carried as far as the UK, and further.
Once it is lifted from the ground by strong winds, clouds of dust can reach very high altitudes and be transported worldwide, covering thousands of miles.
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/wind/saharan-dust
Have a happy July … no matter what the weather brings :)
All the best Jan
Ohio is a tad too far north for most of the dust. That is good.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have dust here but it's rained off and on for a week so the dust would be washed out.
ReplyDeleteAmazing how connected we are to far away places. Were you back here when Mt. Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines and we had the ash in our atmosphere for months? It wasn't really visible or noticeable but our sunrises and sunsets were incredibly beautiful because of it. Interesting that you hardly saw rainbows in Illinois. I took it for granted that they are everywhere after it rains.
ReplyDeleteNo, we were in Illinois then. 1991, we were definitely on the mainland and had no idea. That must have been awful.
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