Tourist Captures Incredible Photo While on Holiday

Just when the storm clouds are approaching, a tourist was able to capture a different kind of rainbow while on holiday in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

"I was in ocho rios Jamaica last week, storn [sic] clouds were approaching.. didn't quite cover the sun yet.. I looked up and saw this.. never seen it before in my life. can u explain it?" Beckie Bone Dunning posted in The Weather Channel's Facebook page.

The Independent reports that the 62-year-old had been sitting by her hotel's pool between 3pm and 4pm on 29 October at the time.

"The dark clouds were approaching... and heading to the sunshine... I looked up and saw this."

"[I] always have my camera with me on vacation and quickly took these pictures... by then the entire resort was looking. It was an awesome experience to be able to see that."

According to weather.com's senior meteorologist, Nick Wiltgen, the cloud that was captured in the photo is known as cloud iridescence.

"In clouds, iridescence is a byproduct of sunlight being diffracted by water droplets or ice crystals, causing the various wavelengths of light - which we see as colors - to emerge at different angles," Wiltgen said. "As they reach the observer's eye, the observer perceives a pattern of various colors as those different wavelengths reach his or her eye from distinct directions, rather than being jumbled together and appearing whitish."

In a statement for The Independent, Kirsty McCabe, a senior meteorologist for The Weather Channel UK, said the colours of "cloud iridescence" were "similar to those found in oil films on puddles".

"So rather than the traditional rainbow colours you get lots of pinks and greens and often in pastel shades. The colours usually appear as bands nearly parallel to the cloud edges or as a mosaic pattern."

Weather.com added that this is not the first time this type of cloud appeared this year. Back in September, cloud iridescence was also spotted over Costa Rica where some locals believed the phenomenon was a sign from God, while others believed it meant the end of times.