Birmingham’s sky turns purple as thriller behind unusual glow is solved
Aerial views of the show a light over Birmingham city centre that appeared to turn the sky purple and leave locals baffled by the bizarre glowing phenomenon last night
The sky over Birmingham was turned purple during the storm (Image: Getty Images)
The mystery behind Birmingham’s purple sky has been cracked – with pictures revealing the true cause of the glow.
Locals were left confused as the sky appeared purple for many as the city was battered by snow brought by Storm Goretti.
BBC weather presenter Simon King weighed in on the strange phenomenon, explaining how cloud cover and falling snow meant the sky could be more reflective.
Aerial shots of the city later showed the source of the light was not even purple, but pink.
Images showed a pink light from grow lamps at Birmingham City Football that were being reflected in the sky.
BBC presenter King added: “Atmospheric conditions with low cloud and even during snow, can make the sky a little more reflective and show a glow of street lighting, buildings and even purple lights from football stadiums.”
Storm Goretti, christened by Meteo-France, marks the first named storm of 2026 to batter the UK.
Red “danger to life” alerts have been declared across the South West, whilst amber warnings for snow and fierce winds cover the Midlands and the Isles of Scilly.
Rainfall presents an extra threat across parts of Wales and eastern England. Amongst the nine weather alerts issued for Storm Goretti yesterday, the Met Office declared a rare red weather warning for wind across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
The Midlands, Wales, and Yorkshire remain under an amber snow alert. Approximately 60,000 properties have been left without gas or electricity as Storm Goretti has caused chaos across the south west and Midlands, according to the National Grid, reports Birmingham Live.
West Midlands officials have cautioned of the “worst snowfall in a decade” as parts of England and Wales brace for 5-10cm of snow on Friday, with up to 15-25cm expected in some areas.
East Midlands Railway (EMR) announced the Hope Valley, the route between Sheffield and Manchester, will remain shut all day.
Several other routes, including those between Nottingham and Lincoln and between Leicester and Nottingham, will stay closed until after 10am on Friday. The train operator stated: “Please check your journey before travelling today. Heavy snowfall has impacted our regional routes with some services starting later than usual.”
Birmingham airport said in a statement: “Reduced runway operations have resumed. The safety of our colleagues and customers is our number one priority.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Passengers due to travel should contact their airline regarding the status of flights.”
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