Taiwan’s record-breaking rainbow

On November 30, 2017, a rainbow shone above Taiwan for a record-breaking nine hours. This shattered the previous world record of six hours, set in England in 1994.

Regardless of its new status in the Guinness Book, Taiwan’s rainbow broke the expectations of a typical rainbow’s lifetime. Most rainbows last much less than an hour, so the duration of the rainbow that stretched across Taiwan’s capital city, Taipei, was a feat of nature in itself.

According to BBC News, the weather conditions that allowed the rainbow to last so long were due to a seasonal northeast monsoon. This trapped moisture in the air, allowing clouds to form. Sunlight and slow wind speeds throughout the day also added to the rainbow’s record-setting lifespan.

Monsoons are a common occurrence in Southeast Asian countries such as Taiwan; however, evidence has shown that these monsoons have been gradually weakening. The South Asian summer monsoon, which plays a critical role in providing moisture and rainwater to Asian landscapes, has experienced delays and produced less precipitation in recent years.

Purdue University’s research on the changing monsoon dynamics linked these effects to climate change and the rising temperatures across the globe. Not only do these processes reduce the rainfall in South Asian regions, they also intensify the already extremely hot temperatures that affect the area in the summer.

A change in the usual weather conditions could be devastating for these regions of Asia, where almost half of the world’s population resides, and agricultural production and water availability are crucial for survival.

While the record-breaking rainbow in Taiwan was a stunning and beautiful act of nature to witness, it also served as one more reminder of the beauty the world might lose due to the very real effects of climate change.