Iridescent Rainbow Cloud Appears Over Bogor, Indonesia, Stops Traffic
On May 1, a vibrant cloud formation in Bogor, Indonesia, halted traffic as onlookers whipped out their cameras. A TikTok user, sipa5402, recorded the spectacle, which soon went viral, racking up over 46 million views. Many online commentators likened the unique cloud to the racing tracks seen in the video game Mario Kart. According to Ida Pramuwardani, the acting director at the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics, the colorful cloud phenomenon is a typical occurrence caused by sunlight refracting through airborne water droplets, signaling possible local rainfall without indicating any impending storm.
Key facts
- Rainbow-like cloud appeared over Bogor, Indonesia on May 1.
- Phenomenon briefly halted traffic as locals recorded it.
- TikTok user sipa5402's video gained over 46 million views.
- Commenters compared the cloud to a Mario Kart race track.
- Ida Pramuwardani of BMKG explained the atmospheric optics.
- Iridescence caused by sunlight interacting with water droplets.
- Cumulus clouds partially blocked the rainbow, creating the effect.
- Pramuwardani said it is not a sign of an impending storm.
Entities
Institutions
- Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG)
- Detik News
- The Weather Channel
- My Modern Met
Locations
- Bogor
- Indonesia
- Sentul
- Jonggol