What’s up in Pakistan? Rare colourful clouds, UFO, missile test rumours stun Quetta residents

A rare and breathtaking sight lit up the skies over Quetta on Tuesday minutes before the sunrise, captivating residents and sparking a wave of speculation online.

What many initially believed to be a missile test or an unidentified flying object turned out to be a striking natural phenomenon — lenticular clouds forming over the Koh-e-Murdaar mountain range just before sunrise.

These clouds, known for their smooth, lens-like shapes, are often mistaken for UFOs due to their symmetrical and hovering appearance.

The name “lenticular” comes from the Latin lenticularis, meaning “lens-shaped”.

According to meteorologists, lenticular clouds form when stable, moist air flows over a mountain or hill, creating standing waves in the atmosphere.

As the air rises and cools at the crest of these waves, moisture condenses into clouds.

The process of continuous condensation and evaporation gives them their unique, layered “stack-of-plates” look.

Witnesses described a surreal scene as the pre-dawn sky glowed with vivid iridescent hues — pinks, greens, and golds — shimmering across the cloud edges.

This dazzling effect, experts explain, occurs when sunlight interacts with tiny water droplets or ice crystals at just the right angle, a phenomenon known as iridescence.

The Koh-e-Murdaar range, lying east of Quetta, provided ideal conditions for this spectacle, with its rugged topography and strong mountain winds shaping the airflow that led to the formation.

While lenticular clouds are rare in Pakistan making this event a remarkable meteorological occurrence.

Scientists say such fleeting moments remind us of the beauty and complexity of Earth’s atmosphere, urging people to observe and appreciate the natural world around them.