Rainbow Clouds Over Indonesia Look Like a Mario Kart Track

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On May 1, a shimmering, rainbow-like cloud appeared over Bogor, Indonesia, briefly halting traffic as locals stopped to record it. The stunning spectacle might look like its been generated by AI, but it’s actually a real atmospheric effect. Like a regular rainbow, it is caused by sunlight interacting with water droplets in the air. However, this rarer variation only forms under specific cloud conditions, which makes it especially striking.

TikTok user sipa5402 was among those who stopped to film the mesmerizing rainbow clouds, and her videos quickly went viral. As of writing, one clip has racked up more than 46 million views, with commenters comparing the clouds to a Mario Kart race track.

Although it might look like a scene from a video game, the magical clouds are actually a real-world event. “The phenomenon seen in the video is a common occurrence in the atmosphere and is related to atmospheric optics,” Ida Pramuwardani, acting director of public meteorology at the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG), told Detik News. “Rainbow colors appear because sunlight interacts with water droplets in the air, both from rain residue and rain that is currently occurring on the other side of the Sentul area, as in the video.”

The reason the iridescent clouds look so dreamlike is because there’s clouds blocking part of the rainbow. “At the same time,” the meteorologist explains, “there are towering cumulus clouds that can cover part of the rainbow, so that the shape looks incomplete or looks like a ‘rainbow cloud.’”

Despite its striking appearance, experts say there’s no cause for alarm. Pramuwardani says, “This phenomenon is not a direct sign of an impending storm, but rather indicates the growth of convective clouds and the possibility of local rain in the area, even though the observation point is still clear or has not experienced rain.”

On May 1, a shimmering, rainbow-like cloud appeared over Bogor, Indonesia, briefly halting traffic as locals stopped to record it.

@sipa5402 #fyp ♬ suara asli – arka – arkasc28

The stunning spectacle is a common phenomenon caused by sunlight interacting with water droplets in the air.

@sipa5402 #fyp ♬ original sound – Visit

@jakarta.picks A rare rainbow cloud phenomenon in Bogor, turning the sky into a breathtaking masterpiece ☁️ Jonggol, Bogor . . #placetogojkt #sky #rainbow #iridescence #phenomenon ♬ suara asli – arka – arkasc28