Home
Weather Dublin
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Spotted in Suffolk: What are crepuscular rays?

09:00
3 February 2023

Spotted in Suffolk
What are crepuscular rays?

Crepuscular rays
Crepuscular rays seen in Lowestoft, Suffolk this week. - © Elaine High

A Weather & Radar user submitted a picture of crepuscular rays shining overhead this week, they are visually stunning but do you know what they are?

It is very simple, as the sun rises or sets each day rays of light shine through the sky. At times clear pillars of light appear.

These are crepuscular rays, sometimes called God rays, and appear as sunlight shines through or over clouds catching dust and smoke particles which make the beams more visible.

In addition to this phenomena, there are also anti-crepuscular rays. These rays converge toward an anti-solar point away from the sun.

These are dimmer than their regular counterpart, and you can see them by looking in the opposite direction of the sun.

Just like crepuscular rays these are more visible at sunrise or sunset as the sun passes the horizon.

If you see either of these solar illusions, be sure to snap a shot and send it our way via the image uploader!

Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
Autumn is setting in across Europe. Cooler, wetter and windier. . . Tuesday 6 October 2026
Weather maps show a sharp drop in temperature across Central Europe, accompanied by rain and thunderstorms.
Tuesday 6 October 2026

Cooler, wetter and windier

Autumn is setting in across Europe
Short burst of chilly mornings. A taste of winter. . . Wednesday 7 October 2026
Split temperature maps showing a cold 3-8°C start across the UK and Ireland followed by much milder 12-16°C conditions.
Wednesday 7 October 2026

A taste of winter

Short burst of chilly mornings
Turbulence in the eastern Mediterranean. Floods and landslides. . . Friday 2 October 2026
Weather Radar showing a low-pressure system over the eastern Mediterranean
Friday 2 October 2026

Floods and landslides

Turbulence in the eastern Mediterranean
All weather news
This might also interest you
Bright and warm conditions take hold. Spring-like outlook. . . Thursday 23 April 2026
Split UK map showing warm temperatures up to 21 degrees in orange on the left and clear sunny conditions with temperatures from 12 to 18 degrees on the right, with sun icons across the country.
Thursday 23 April 2026

Spring-like outlook

Bright and warm conditions take hold
Super Typhoon Bavi threatens Taiwan. Up to 1,000 mm of rain. . Weather Videos. Wednesday 8 July 2026
The image shows an intense tropical cyclone over the western Pacific, east of Taiwan and the Philippines. The centre of the system is depicted as a light purple and white vortex with a clearly visible eye, surrounded by a ring of red and orange areas indicating the strongest wind speeds. A white arrow marks the typhoon’s predicted track towards the north-west, in the direction of Taiwan. To the west of the storm lie the Philippines, with the cities of Manila and Cebu; to the north of these lies Taiwan, with Taipei. Further west, the Chinese coast, including Hong Kong, and parts of Vietnam can be seen. The coloured wind map shows predominantly green areas outside the storm’s core, indicating significantly weaker winds. White streamlines illustrate the typhoon’s anti-clockwise circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. The highest wind speeds are concentrated around the eye of the cyclone.
Weather VideosWednesday 8 July 2026

Up to 1,000 mm of rain

Super Typhoon Bavi threatens Taiwan
A stormy week in the skies above. Your weather - Your shots. . . Sunday 30 August 2026
Split image showing lightning branching beneath dark storm clouds above rooftops on the left and an orange-pink sunset over a calm sea on the right.
Sunday 30 August 2026

Your weather - Your shots

A stormy week in the skies above
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwitteryouTubelinkList