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Double Rainbow Lights Up Lima Sky

Observed after a light drizzle, the display occurred under ENFEN’s 'Niño Costero' alert, linking the sighting to warmer coastal seas and altered rainfall through January 2027.

Overview

  • Residents across multiple Lima districts saw a double rainbow after a light drizzle, a phenomenon widely photographed and posted on social platforms on Sunday, June 14.
  • Hundreds of citizen images and videos showed two concentric arcs, with the outer arc fainter and its colors reversed compared with the primary band.
  • Meteorological explanations cite standard optics: sunlight refracts and reflects inside raindrops and a second internal reflection creates the secondary arc.
  • The display is unusual for the autumn approach to winter in Lima because persistent overcast skies and garúa typically block the direct sun angles that produce rainbows.
  • ENFEN’s active 'Niño Costero' alert, which notes warmer coastal sea temperatures and projects impacts through January 2027, provides a climate context but does not make the rainbow itself hazardous.