Hurricane Milton caused an unusual phenomenon. Before it prompted millions of power outages, led to at least 10 deaths, and caused Anderson Cooper to get hit in the face with debris, Florida residents reported that the then-approaching storm turned the sky purple.
The strange sight is not unheard of. Back in 2020, after Hurricane Delta, AccuWeather explained the cause of the odd hue.
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Typically, the sky appears blue due to a process called Rayleigh scattering. The sun emits light that’s all the colors of the rainbow, which are each on a different wavelength. As that light hits air molecules, the colors scatter. The most-scattered color is blue because of its shorter wavelength.
“At sunset, the angle of the sun in the horizon yields more atmosphere and aerosols for which the light can be scattered [and create different colors],” meteorologist Brett Rossio said.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the purple hue, Rossio explained, “It’s largely because there is an increased amount of particulates in the air due to significant vapor concentrations from a storm.”
“You occasionally can get a pink hue in the sky, especially near sunset, that is superimposed with a dark blue sky above,” Rossio added. “If you have the right angle, especially in the evening hours, the pink hue that is superimposed with the dark blue sky produces a purple.”
Rossio noted that the phenomenon can occur at anytime, not just during a storm like Hurricane Milton. The added moisture from such a storm, however, helps create the right conditions to see a purple sky.
Cleanup efforts for Hurricane Milton are now underway. As rescues continue, bridges in Tampa Bay have reopened, and the city’s airport plans to resume activity on Friday.
