A rare meteorological phenomenon has put on a dazzling show at the top of the South Island, with Nelson residents captivated by a shimmering "rainbow cloud" this afternoon.
Photos and videos taken around the region on Sunday show streaks of vibrant pinks, greens and golds glowing through thin, high level cloud.
Ashleigh Allison told 1News she was so startled by the colours she initially questioned her own eyesight.
"I told my husband to make sure I wasn't seeing things and it was definitely there. So strange."
Another local, Melanie Hunter, said the sight stopped her in her tracks.
"Super bright, colourful, just what I needed today."
MetService meteorologist Brayden White told 1News the rainbow cloud was caused by a phenomenon known as cloud iridescence.
"This is basically when you get a rainbow in a cloud, but instead of water droplets reflecting the light, you have ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. You'll notice in the photos it's a wispy looking cloud, very high up and not particularly thick, that's just entirely ice crystals."
White said the crystals happened to be lined up in the same way as a prism or a rain drop in a rainbow to refract the Sun's light.
"It's producing these pink, red, and green clouds."
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