A storm named Goretti recently hit the UK, bringing strong winds and heavy snow as well as causing parts of the sky to display a mysterious pink hue.
According to a report by ITV, on the evening of January 8, the snowfall from Storm Goretti created a charming pink sky in some areas of West Midlands County.
People captured photos of the pink sky in Birmingham city center, as well as in areas like Small Heath and Bordesley Green. It is believed that this phenomenon was caused by LED lights installed on football fields to promote grass growth.
Hednesford Town Football Club shared on social media, “The ‘Northern Lights’ over Hednesford look much closer than we expected. The pink glow in the sky is actually the LED lights we use on our pitch to help with grass growth and recovery, keeping us ready to chase the three points at all times, instead of the Northern Lights. Who would have thought that a bit of lawn maintenance work could attract so much attention!”
A spokesperson for the UK Met Office, Grahame Madge, explained that the colors of these lights appear brighter amidst a snowstorm.
Madge told the television station, “Light with shorter wavelengths, such as blue, is more easily scattered by snow or water droplets, allowing light with longer wavelengths, like red and orange, to penetrate. This can result in colors appearing pink or orange.”
The television station’s sports reporter, Dan Salisbury-Jones, mentioned that LED lights are also used at Birmingham Sports Ground to help the pitch recover quickly during breaks in games.
He said, “They use LED lighting equipment to assist the pitch in recovering as quickly as possible during breaks in the game. Birmingham’s equipment is provided by a Dutch company called SGL Systems. If you are interested in installing a set for your lawn, you might want to check them out!”
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