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People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It’s A Sign Of A Typhoon

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As Japan prepared to brace Typhoon Hagibis, Mother Nature put up a beautiful display to warn about the impending destruction. An electric purple sky. As mesmerizing as it was, this colorful blanket was followed by the devastating natural disaster that is already responsible for killing at least 40 people. The category 5 super typhoon is said to be the most powerful one to hit the country in half a century.

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: Desu_unknown

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: Desu_unknown

The vivid tint is the result of a weather phenomenon called “scattering.” It occurs when the molecules and small particles in the atmosphere influence the direction of the light, causing it to scatter.

As heavy storms and rain wash away larger particles — which absorb more light and scatter wavelengths more evenly, resulting in muted hues — out of the air, the colors of the sky become more intense.

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: ara_to1

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: Stardustjaem

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: nVgXrn0fiIWvjpJ

As hundreds of thousands of people were receiving orders to evacuate, some of them started posting images of the bright purple and pink sky on social media.

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: ara_to1

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: joanna_kocholl

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The same phenomenon has occurred several times in the U.S. following major hurricanes as well.

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: ika_mesugorira

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People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: Oharus_Yaojia

“As sunlight shines down to Earth, most of the colors of the spectrum are able to reach the surface uninterrupted,” meteorologist Lauren Rautenkranz said after Hurricane Michael in 2018. “But the shorter wavelengths, blue and violet, are scattered in every direction. This light bounces from particle to particle until it eventually reaches your eyes. But the sky doesn’t appear violet and blue because of our eyes’ limitations.”

“The light was scattered around the moisture in the air, causing the magical purple color.”

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: ara_to1

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: kei_xxx_kun

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

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Image credits: Oharus_Yaojia

As many as 110,000 personnel have been deployed from the fire department, self-defense force and police, expanding the search and rescue efforts, according to Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: moominyama

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: mz3racing

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: Oharus_Yaojia

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: yuCcanimiso

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Image credits: Ca___virgo

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

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Image credits: JustTraveI

Here’s what people said about this phenomenon

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

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People In Japan Were Admiring The Incredibly Purple Sky, But It's A Sign Of A Typhoon

Ilona Baliūnaitė

I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

Rokas Laurinavičius

Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

What do you think ?

Jenica Thomas 5 years ago

I grew up in the midwest United States. Reminds me of the green tornado skies. greensky-5...f7c80d.jpg

17points

Bobby's Girl 5 years ago

Green, but not like this photo at all. It is generally an ominous, slightly green, airless silence in which you can almost hear the trees warning each other of the coming storm. The lull before the storm: The birds find shelter, the insects grow silent, the squirrels head for home.

2points

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Daria B 5 years ago

AGAIN!? Isn't it the 3rd one in a row to hit Japan? That's scary.

8points

Naoko Yamaguchi 5 years ago

Totally a nightmare last weekend :(

7points

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Jenica Thomas 5 years ago

I grew up in the midwest United States. Reminds me of the green tornado skies. greensky-5...f7c80d.jpg

17points

Bobby's Girl 5 years ago

Green, but not like this photo at all. It is generally an ominous, slightly green, airless silence in which you can almost hear the trees warning each other of the coming storm. The lull before the storm: The birds find shelter, the insects grow silent, the squirrels head for home.

2points

Load More Replies...

Daria B 5 years ago

AGAIN!? Isn't it the 3rd one in a row to hit Japan? That's scary.

8points

Naoko Yamaguchi 5 years ago

Totally a nightmare last weekend :(

7points

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