Strange light show in the sky stuns meteorologists and social media

A video capturing a rare and impressive weather phenomenon known as a “Crown flash” has caused amazement on social media for its unique and beautiful display.

This extraordinary demonstration takes place when the electric fields in a thunderstorm cause the ice crystals above the cloud to realign, resulting in the reflection of sunlight in a manner similar to beams of light. There are very few recorded cases of this event, the first  one took place in 1885 described by the Monthly Weather Review.

The video was posted by meteorologist James Spann on April 28, who watched the phenomenon over Miami Beach, Florida. Spann’s video shows a beam of light appearing to shine off the clouds, almost as if someone is waving a flashlight. The video quickly went viral, with other weather experts confirming it as true. However, it left many in awe, with some questioning the authenticity of the video or suggesting that it could have been from an earlier event.

BBC meteorologist Tomasz Schafernaker retweeted Spann’s video, saying: “You’ve NOT seen a weather phenomenon like THIS! What a spectacular optical effect. I have never heard of it myself. Spooky…love it.”

Other meteorologists shared their experiences seeing the phenomenon, such as Maryland meteorologist Dan Satterfield, who recalled witnessing one about nine years ago. 

Similarly, a Dallas-Fort Worth meteorologist admitted he had never heard of or seen a natural phenomenon like this before, describing it as “fascinating.”

This type of natural phenomenon has been documented in the same way in the past. One example occurred in May 2022 when video captured it in clouds over Texas. Another case took place in August 2020 when a local Florida resident recorded it, and the show lasted for more than 10 minutes.