Viral Video Shows Chhattisgarh Sky Turning Red Due To Cyclone Arnab

Videos showing sky turning blood red in parts of Chhattisgarh have caught the attention of internet. Users are sharing the clips from places like Dantewada and Kirandul claiming that it happened amid severe weather alerts triggered by Cyclone Arnab. There is no independent confirmation of the cyclone's link to the bright red colour of sky in Chhattisgarh. However, similar apocalyptic scenes have appeared in Australia and other parts of the world ahead of a cyclone's landfall. Experts quoted by The New York Times say strong cyclone winds can pick up massive amounts of dust, sand, or iron-rich red soil and suspend them high in the atmosphere.

This seems to be the case in the case of Cyclone Arnab too, which turned the sky above Chhattisgarh unusually red.

The scene has given social media users a chance to show their creativity. "Upside down?" asked one user, comparing the fiery red sky to popular Netflix show 'Stranger Things'.

"Vecna is coming," another user said, using another reference from 'Stranger Things'. Others said the sky looks like the set of the Evil Dead movie.

Some users urged people to be cautious, warning that it could be dangerous for them.

In Australia, Cyclone Narelle caused similar hues as it struck Denham in western part of the continent in May this year. As per National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States, the soil in that part of Australia is rich in iron and undergoes oxidation in cyclonic weather.

When it starts travelling rapidly due to the cyclone, it gives the sky a Mars-like appearance.

This satellite image shows Cyclone Arnab approaching Andhra Pradesh coast.
Photo Credit: NASA

Cyclone Arnab made landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28, carrying sustained winds of 130 kilometres per hour. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) categorised Arnab as a "very severe cyclonic storm"; it caused extensive damage, uprooting trees, inundating crops and homes, limiting fishing operations, and disrupting transportation and power networks.

Five people were killed in Andhra Pradesh in separate incidents liked to the cyclone. Its effects are expected to persist through October 31.

From Andhra Pradesh to Bihar, state governments have made elaborate arrangements for relief and rescue of people from the cyclone-hit areas.