China was awe-struck as a breathtaking spectacle unfolded in the sky, with a stunning ‘phenomenon’ painting the clouds in rainbow hues.

This awe-inspiring display was actually an atmospheric optical wonder known as cloud iridescence, caused by the diffraction of light between droplets and ice crystals in the cloud when sunlight hits them at just the right angle.

Meteorologist Jen Carfagno from the Weather Channel explains that this occurs when the light is diffracted around the outside of the droplets or ice crystals, rather than passing through them, creating a mesmerizing halo of rainbow colours.