A fascinating halo formed around the sun was witnessed by the people in Sindh particularly in Karachi on Saturday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Experts said this phenomenon occurs only to reflect changes in the weather.

They said a sun halo, also known as a 22-degree halo, occurs due to sunlight refracting in millions of hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere.

It may be mentioned here that the latest halo around the sun was witnessed nearly a year in Karachi. The last halo around the sun was witnessed in the megacity on April 25, 2023.

The halos, which are formed by light passing through ice crystals in the upper atmosphere, usually appear near sun or moon.

According to the UK-based Atmospheric Optics, a knowledge-sharing website, the halo phenomenon happens when the light is reflected and refracted by ice crystals and may split into colours because of dispersion.

Reports suggest that usually, halo indicates that rain will fall within the next 24 hours since the cirrostratus clouds that cause them can signify an approaching frontal system.

Reports said circular halos specifically are produced by cirrus clouds, which are thin, detached, hair-like clouds. It should be noted that these clouds are very high up in the atmosphere, at a height of over 2,000 feet.