Purple Sky: The Mysterious Phenomenon That Was Seen Before Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton struck Florida, USA, with significant force. Fortunately, it made landfall as a Category 3 storm, minimizing the destruction in its path. But… what with the purple sky?

So far, reports confirm seven fatalities, over three million people left without power, and material damages reaching thousands of dollars.

However, before Milton reached Florida’s coast, the sky began to gradually turn purple—a sight that alarmed thousands and was captured in numerous videos now circulating online.

The mysterious purple sky phenomenon wasn’t only visible in the United States but also in Yucatán, Mexico. This sparked curiosity among millions and gave rise to theories, some even considering it a divine sign. In reality, though, there is a scientific explanation behind this strange occurrence.

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Purple Sky Before Hurricane Milton Arrival: Why Was That?

Hurricane Milton’s approach caused widespread panic. Yet, shortly before it hit the U.S. and Mexico, there was an eerie calm, accompanied by a beautiful—but mysterious—phenomenon: the purple sky.

The sky was painted in breathtaking shades of purple and pink, providing us with images that looked like they were straight out of a dream. Contrary to what many believed, the purple sky phenomenon can be explained by something known as Rayleigh scattering.

Sunlight is made up of many colors, and when it passes through the atmosphere, it collides with air particles. Shorter wavelength colors like blue and purple scatter more than longer wavelength colors like red.

That’s why during the day, we see the sky as blue—because that light scatters the most in all directions. At sunrise or sunset, however, the sun is lower on the horizon, and its light travels farther, making colors like red and orange more prominent.

But during storms or meteorological events like Hurricane Milton, atmospheric conditions change, which alters how light is scattered. This results in unusual colors, like purple, violet, and pink, appearing in the sky.

This article was originally published in Spanish by Mariana Martell in Cultura Colectiva.