'Apocalyptic' red sky in Australia ahead of Tropical Cyclone Narelle

A dramatic blood red sky was observed in Western Australia as Tropical Cyclone Narelle approached. The seemingly unsettling visuals were captured from Shark Bay, near Denham, and in Karratha on the Pilbara coast. Cyclone Narelle made landfall in Queensland on March 20. It has travelled to the Western Territory in Australia. People described the scene as “incredibly eerie”, "apocalyptic" and "the sky issuing a final warning.”

Why was the sky blood red?

The ominous crimson colour was accused online of being edited, while other social media posts explicitly added “no filter” clarification. At the same time, many accused that the shade of red had been intensified in many clips. Multiple reports suggest that the colour was caused by the cyclone's strong winds. Those winds lifted iron-rich, dry red soil and dust, which were scattered into the atmosphere. This reflected the sunlight and resulted in the bright orange and crimson glow.

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What is the situation of Cyclone Narelle?

This 2026 event was a rare "triple-strike" system that affected Far North Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia. Narelle first made landfall as a cyclone in Exmouth, causing significant damage. These include torn roofs and power outages. The cyclone then moved south towards Karratha on the Pilbara coast and Gascoyne coastline with a speed of 200km/h. It was then downgraded to a subtropical cyclone on March 28. The storm also disrupted the production of the two biggest liquefied ​natural gas plants in the country, run by Chevron and Woodside, amid the global supply crunch.