A double rainbow

My husband reminded us we had just had a week of glorious weather.

“Last week as I rode home, there was a double rainbow” he said.

The rest of us nodded. Noted. Not merely a rainbow, but a double rainbow.

Well, what a gift.

After dropping the husband off, the vehicle rounded a corner and there, implausibly, was a double rainbow.

Let me paint this one for you. The outer arch was ghostly, but the inner rainbow, sharp, clear, perfect. Almost neon bright. And as we approached school, people everywhere stopped to notice. A tradie had pulled off the road to take a photo. The lollypop man on traffic duty outside a school was taking a photo. People standing outside cafes looked up. Smiling faces tilted upwards. Even the traffic felt more, patient.

I’ve often wondered whether there are certain parts of Australia where you see rainbows more frequently. I asked scientist and ABC weather expert Nate Byrne. He said where you are does make a difference.

“It’s closely tied to how much rain a place gets (it’s an essential ingredient, BUT you don’t want it too cloudy), & the angle of the sun – too high, and the rainbow gets blocked by the earth, too low and the sun gets blocked (for a person standing on the ground, at least).”

This morning a double rainbow changed my life if only for a few minutes. The feeling of awe didn’t last. But I will savour that moment through the day.

When the world feels embattled, you might just see a double rainbow. And it doesn’t get better than that.

Image credits: Girl with Double Rainbow by Matthew Collins via Twitter

Double Rainbow by Simon Payne via Twitter