Sky turns eerie red in Venezuela, triggering shock and awe amid quake tragedy - Video

Venezuelans in Caracas were surprised to see the sky take on a reddish-orange hue on Tuesday evening (June 30), leaving people in awe and triggering speculations about what was happening. What makes the scene even more eerie and mysterious is the low-hanging clouds. Social media users quickly jumped into discussions about what was possibly happening in the city as videos from Caracas started going viral. While some think it is an ominous sign, others know that it is a simple phenomenon. Venezuela was struck by massive twin earthquakes on June 24, leaving nearly 2,000 people dead. People are pointing out that the skies turning red is a sign of more incoming doom.

"Venezuela must cry out to God! Hard times are coming, and they must ask God for forgiveness for corruption, pride, and for Santería and witchcraft!" a user wrote on X. Another chimed in, "It’s a sign of death over the whole city. Lord help your people," with another adding, “Apocalypse.”

Why is the sky in Venezuela red? Rayleigh scattering

However, there is a scientific explanation for what Caracas is witnessing. Rayleigh scattering, also known as "candilazo", combined with Saharan dust, is creating the beautiful yet scary scene in the city. Typically, it scatters shorter wavelengths, such as blue, more intensely than longer ones, like red, which makes the sky appear blue during daytime.

The Saharan dust over Venezuela is extremely fine and is acting like a natural filter. The shorter wavelengths in this case are scattered away, and only the longest and warmest wavelengths, red and orange, pass through. So we only see these two colours.

Videos of red skies in Caracas, Venezuela

“Genuinely eerie” red skies in Venezuela

People have been left mesmerised by the colour of the sky in Caracas. Even though it is a natural phenomenon, the sky appears pretty fierce. "Saharan dust scattering sunset light into that color is a known phenomenon, but seeing it over Caracas is genuinely eerie," a user wrote. Another person wrote, "Beautiful but eerie. Atmospheric optics never disappoint — nature putting on a show."

Venezuela is grappling with the effects of the devastating earthquakes, and despite knowing that the colour of the sky is simply a weather phenomenon, some people are finding it impossible not to link it to the tragedy. A video also shows buildings lying in ruins as rescue workers try to look for survivors, with the red sky behind them.

A user wrote, "Scientifically, there may be an explanation. But spiritually, the image still feels impossible to ignore." He added, "A blood-colored horizon over a nation already shaken by earthquakes, grief, collapsed buildings, and thousands of missing people."

Saharan Dust has been making its way westward and will soon cover Florida in the United States. On its way, it has now reached Venezuela, where it has created this spectacle.