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DENHAM, Western Australia — Tropical Cyclone Narelle has battered Australia with relentless winds and torrential rain, making landfall four times.
As it neared the western coast on Friday, residents were met with a sky that appeared to be ablaze with streaks of fiery orange and red, ahead of the storm’s arrival.
WATCH: DUST TURNS SKIES EERIE RED OVER DALLAS AS 60-MPH WINDS BLAST METROPLEX
Videos captured online took the internet by surprise, with many describing them as having an ‘apocalyptic’ feel.
In particular, Dedham’s Shark Bay Area brings us two unique perspectives showcasing the phenomenon.
In a Facebook post, the park wrote: “Incredibly eerie outside, and everything is covered in dust. Not a lot of wind yet.”
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Across the region, the sky also took on a softer orange hue, caused by dust swirling during the storm.
So, what exactly caused the sky to turn this extraordinary blood-red color during such a powerful cyclone in Australia?
The FOX Forecast Center believes it could be due to the way different wavelengths of light scatter in the atmosphere.
WHY DID THE SKY TURN PINK DURING A RECENT WINTER STORM IN IOWA?
A similar phenomenon was observed in January when the skies in Iowa turned pink during a winter storm.
Colors like blue have shorter wavelengths, whereas red, orange and pink light have longer wavelengths.
When the sun is near the horizon at sunrise or sunset, its light passes through a greater thickness of the atmosphere.
During this journey, the shorter blue wavelengths scatter more, letting the longer red and pink wavelengths stand out and dominate the sky’s appearance.
Reports suggest that strong winds lifted the iron-rich red soil and dust into the atmosphere, which, combined with scattered sunlight, filtered out most wavelengths except red, producing a vivid crimson sky.
