Rare Flat Rainbow Spotted Borough of Torbay on Devon Coast After Storm Francis, Stunning Pictures Go Viral

While we all have seen rainbows in the shape of a semi-circle, the coast of Devon was treated to a rare phenomenon. A flat rainbow was spotted in the borough of Torbay on the south-east coast of Devon. The view was taken from Paignton beach at Torquay. The rare and beautiful sight has gone viral with people sharing pictures of it exclaiming at the unique scene. The photos show a multicoloured hue in a flat line; it was spotted after a heavy shower following the storm Francis.  In the photograph shared on Facebook by Torbay in pictures, the Paignton Pier can be seen on one side with a ship cruising through the water with the rainbow in the background making it a beautiful scene.

Bristol witness a similar incident in March 2017 and Paris in 2013 after heavy rainstorms lashed above both cities during the day. In another incident, pink rainbows were captured in the south and west England in June last year and in London earlier this month.

Flat Rainbow in Devon:

Isn't That Beautiful?

As some people wondered if it is real or photoshopped, a spokesperson from the Met Office UK told The Metro that it appears to be "being blown up from the sea by the strong gusty winds due to Storm Francis". It was blown by gusts of nearly 80mph (129kph) and heavy rain. The spokesperson explained,  "The same principles as in a usual rainbow are then in play, so the light is being reflected, refracted and dispersed by the water droplets giving the different colours. However, because it’s water blown up from the sea it’s flatter and not curved as when caused by water droplets/rain in the sky."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 29, 2020 09:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).