Stunning Sun halo spotted ahead of rain in Karachi

Karachiites on Friday witnessed the mesmerising sight of a halo formed around the Sun before the port city finally received some rain this evening. 

According to meteorologists, the stunning display is an optical phenomenon — often termed as Sun halo — which occurs when sunlight is mixed with ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere at just the right altitude and angle. 

These can also form around the Moon when its light passes through the ice crystals. 

Usually, the halo indicates that there is moisture in the atmosphere and if its levels are high, thin wispy clouds follow the halo, then it means a storm system present at a distance of about 24 to 48 hours is approaching the area. 

As per EarthSky, halos are a sign of high, thin cirrus clouds drifting 20,000 feet or more above us and when sunrays or moonlight passes through them, it is refracted and perceived by the human eye as a ring of light. 

However, lunar halos are mostly colourless unlike rainbow-coloured solar halos.

This phenomenon also indicates rain coming, which is often true because high cirrus clouds often come before a storm.

Hours after the halo was spotted on Karachi's sky, parts of the city received much needed rain amid an excessively long heatwave.

Heavy to light rain lashed different areas of Karachi on Friday after residents of the port city experienced sizzling temperatures in the last few days, with two deaths reported in the port city due to heatstroke a day earlier.

The areas that received showers include Gulistan-e-Johar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Surjani, North Karachi, New Karachi, Malir, Cantt, Mosmiyat, Shahrae Faisal, Bahadurabad, Tipu Sultan, Gulshan-e-Maymar and Gadap and others.

The metropolis has been in the grip of a heatwave for the last few days making life miserable for the masses as they face hours-long unannounced load-shedding despite the power utility's assurances.