{"id":685218,"date":"2026-01-09T20:23:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T20:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/685218\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T20:23:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T20:23:21","slug":"dazzling-pink-sky-seen-over-birmingham-in-storm-goretti-snowfall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/685218\/","title":{"rendered":"Dazzling pink sky seen over Birmingham in Storm Goretti snowfall"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Vanessa PearceWest Midlands<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766890833_711_grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0ad0bd20-ed3f-11f0-802c-dd494299778e.jpg.webp.webp\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Getty Images An aerial shot of Birmingham city centre which shows a vivid pink glow, coming from the St Andrew's football ground, being reflected off clouds above it, sending the whole sky pink\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/>Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>The stadium lights sent the sky over Birmingham a vivid pink<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">As rare snowfall blanketed much of the West Midlands on Thursday evening, residents were struck by an unexpected sight:  a mysterious pink glow lighting up the sky.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">There was much speculation on social media as to whether the phenomenon was an unusually vivid sunset. Or was it the Northern Lights making a surprise appearance?<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">The truth was far more down-to-earth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">It turns out the source of the display were simple pink LED lights being used on the pitch at Birmingham City&#8217;s football ground, the club has confirmed. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766890833_711_grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/40129b60-ed3b-11f0-b5f7-49f0357294ff.jpg.webp.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Getty Images An aerial view of Birmingham City Football Club ground, St Andrews. It is surrounded by snow-covered buildings in the city centre and the pitch can be seen lit up in a bright pink colour\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/>Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Other aerial photos helped to trace the phenomenon to Birmingham City&#8217;s football stadium  <\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">Skies across the city turned a dazzling shade of pink with other images also shared from Hednesford in Staffordshire. <\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">BBC weather presenter Simon King said cloud cover and falling snow meant the sky could be more reflective, and Birmingham City&#8217;s St Andrew&#8217;s stadium was shown as the source of light. <\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">Hednesford Town Football Club posted on social media that a similar phenomenon, earlier in the week, was caused by their LED pitch lights &#8220;helping the grass grow and recover, keeping us ready to chase three points, not the aurora&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766890833_711_grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ae5219a0-ed2e-11f0-91f6-0dfed6f8b3e0.jpg.webp.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Lord Brocket\/BBC Weather Watchers A bright pink sky over snowy roofs and trees in Hednesford, Staffordshire\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/>Lord Brocket\/BBC Weather Watchers<\/p>\n<p>The sky turned a bright pink over Hednesford in Staffordshire<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">&#8220;Atmospheric conditions with low cloud and even during snow, can make the sky a little more reflective and show a glow of street lighting, buildings and even purple lights from football stadiums,&#8221; the meteorologist added. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766890833_711_grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/d9918e50-ed35-11f0-b984-81fd88ec25bf.jpg.webp.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A bright pink sky over a snowy Birmingham road\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/><\/p>\n<p>It could be seen in Birmingham city centre<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge added: &#8220;The blue wavelengths of light are more easily scattered by snow or water droplets, allowing the longer wavelengths &#8211; such as red and orange &#8211; to get through. <\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">&#8220;This can have the effect of turning colours more pink or orange.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766890833_711_grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/88124570-ed2f-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"GLMCC Pink sky above a clock tower in Birmingham city centre. The face of the clock is lit and heavy snow can be seen falling around it. \" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/>GLMCC<\/p>\n<p>It happened as heavy snow began to fall in the city<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766890833_711_grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dea7f380-ed2f-11f0-b5f7-49f0357294ff.jpg.webp.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"GLMCC Pink sky over a Morrisons supermarket in Small Heath area of Birmingham. The supermarket is lit with snow seen in its car park and a bright street light. \" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/>GLMCC<\/p>\n<p>This stunning image was taken close to Green Lane Masjid in the Small Heath area of Birmingham<\/p>\n<p>Mysterious bright pink captured in Birmingham during storm<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766890833_711_grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/fbff8c40-ed2f-11f0-b5f7-49f0357294ff.jpg.webp.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"GLMCC Bright pink sky over Birmingham\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/>GLMCC<\/p>\n<p>The effect was caused by lights from Birmingham City&#8217;s football ground<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766890833_711_grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/16c56bb0-ed32-11f0-b984-81fd88ec25bf.jpg.webp.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"EliP\/BBC Weather Watchers A river is in the foreground and lit up buildings can be seen behind. The sky is strange tint of pink and purple.\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/>EliP\/BBC Weather Watchers<\/p>\n<p>BBC Weather Watchers captured images of the phenomenon <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766890833_711_grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/7fd181b0-ed3d-11f0-8cc8-8329494b82ad.jpg.webp.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Hednesford Town Football Club Hednesford Town Football ground with pink LED lights being used to treat a corner of the pitch. A floodlight can be seen in the background, lighting up the grass.  \" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/>Hednesford Town Football Club<\/p>\n<p>Hednesford Town Football Club shared an image of pink LED lights being used to treat the pitch<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Vanessa PearceWest Midlands Getty Images The stadium lights sent the sky over Birmingham a vivid pink As rare&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":685219,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7820],"tags":[855,748,393,4884,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-685218","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birmingham","8":"tag-birmingham","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115867013454867320","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=685218"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685218\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/685219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=685218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=685218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=685218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}