Uploaded April 2017 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
You might have heard of the first unusual rainbow on this list - the double rainbow - but how about a fogbow? Or a full circle rainbow?
Discover the science behind 5 of the most unusual rainbow types and where you might be lucky enough to find them.
You can find more detail on how rainbows form on the Met Office website: metoffice.gov.uk/learning/rainbows/how-are-rainbows-formed
Double Rainbows
A traditional rainbow is formed when light reflects through a raindrop into our eyes. In a double rainbow, this sunlight reflects twice, at slightly different angles.
Full circle rainbow
Can be seen when water droplets are present in the sky below your horizon. You are most likely to see one from an aircraft, or on top of a tall building or mountain.
Fog bow
Fog bows demonstrate how the sizes of raindrops produce different intensity of colour. Large raindrops, such as those found in thunderstorms, produce vivid rainbows. Whereas fine droplets found in cloud or fog smear out the colours, producing almost colourless rainbow.
Monochrome rainbows
At sunset and sunrise, rays have further to travel through the lower atmosphere to reach your eyes. Short wavelength blues and greens are scattered more strongly at this time. This leaves the remaining transmitted light richer in reds and yellows.
Fire rainbow
Whilst known as a fire rainbow, this is in fact circumhorizontal arcs, a type of halo. Haloes form when light refracts through ice crystals in clouds at high-altitude.
Music: Alex Nekita - Happy family road trip to the coast
You may also enjoy:
– Podcasts exploring weather and climate youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGVVqeJodR_brL5mcfsqI4cu42ueHttv0
– Daily weather forecasts youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGVVqeJodR_Zew9xGAqYVtGjYHau-E2yL
– Deep dive in-depth forecasts youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGVVqeJodR_ZGnhyYdlEpdYrjZ-Pmj2rt
Make sure you subscribe so you never miss a single lesson about the weather or climate youtube.com/c/MetOfficeLearnAboutWeather/?sub_confirmation=1
We are the Met Office, the UK’s national weather service, and every day of the week we bring you a morning weather forecast and an afternoon weather forecast so that wherever you are in the UK we have you covered. Forecasts and any weather warnings are accurate at time of recording.
To ensure you have the most up to date weather information, check the hourly forecast and live warnings on the Met Office website or app.
You might have heard of the first unusual rainbow on this list - the double rainbow - but how about a fogbow? Or a full circle rainbow?
Discover the science behind 5 of the most unusual rainbow types and where you might be lucky enough to find them.
You can find more detail on how rainbows form on the Met Office website: metoffice.gov.uk/learning/rainbows/how-are-rainbows-formed
Double Rainbows
A traditional rainbow is formed when light reflects through a raindrop into our eyes. In a double rainbow, this sunlight reflects twice, at slightly different angles.
Full circle rainbow
Can be seen when water droplets are present in the sky below your horizon. You are most likely to see one from an aircraft, or on top of a tall building or mountain.
Fog bow
Fog bows demonstrate how the sizes of raindrops produce different intensity of colour. Large raindrops, such as those found in thunderstorms, produce vivid rainbows. Whereas fine droplets found in cloud or fog smear out the colours, producing almost colourless rainbow.
Monochrome rainbows
At sunset and sunrise, rays have further to travel through the lower atmosphere to reach your eyes. Short wavelength blues and greens are scattered more strongly at this time. This leaves the remaining transmitted light richer in reds and yellows.
Fire rainbow
Whilst known as a fire rainbow, this is in fact circumhorizontal arcs, a type of halo. Haloes form when light refracts through ice crystals in clouds at high-altitude.
Music: Alex Nekita - Happy family road trip to the coast
You may also enjoy:
– Podcasts exploring weather and climate youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGVVqeJodR_brL5mcfsqI4cu42ueHttv0
– Daily weather forecasts youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGVVqeJodR_Zew9xGAqYVtGjYHau-E2yL
– Deep dive in-depth forecasts youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGVVqeJodR_ZGnhyYdlEpdYrjZ-Pmj2rt
Make sure you subscribe so you never miss a single lesson about the weather or climate youtube.com/c/MetOfficeLearnAboutWeather/?sub_confirmation=1
We are the Met Office, the UK’s national weather service, and every day of the week we bring you a morning weather forecast and an afternoon weather forecast so that wherever you are in the UK we have you covered. Forecasts and any weather warnings are accurate at time of recording.
To ensure you have the most up to date weather information, check the hourly forecast and live warnings on the Met Office website or app.
