‘Upside Down Rainbow’ Seen Over Wrexham

An ‘upside down rainbow’ was seen across the skies of Wrexham this evening.

However the visual spectacle is actually known as a ‘circumzenithal arc’, which forms when sunlight refracts through horizontal ice crystals.

The Met Office describes circumzenithal arcs as quite common ‘as these types of clouds occur throughout the year, however we only sometimes see them as they are usually obscured by clouds underneath’.

The Met Office adds: “In order to be able to see a circumzenithal arc, a combination of atmospheric conditions must coincide just right. The height, depth and position of the ice clouds must be right as the cloud needs to be at a specific angle convex to the sun. The position of the observer is also important since its visibility can vary greatly over short distances.”

Below are the some of the pictures sent to Wrexham.com by our readers this evening!

Picture taken by Mark Riley

Picture taken by Shaun Griffith

Picture taken by Rachel Noyes

‘Sun Dogs’ seen over the skies – picture by Paul Cooks

Picture taken by Jordan