Residents across Birmingham were left stunned and puzzled on Thursday night as the sky above the West Midlands transformed into a vivid shade of pink. The spectacle coincided with the arrival of the year's first named storm, Storm Goretti, which brought heavy snow to the region.
The Night the Sky Glowed Pink
As Storm Goretti swept in on the evening of January 8, 2026, blanketing the city in snow, many locals took to social media platform X to share images of the extraordinary pink and purple hues illuminating the clouds. The phenomenon sparked widespread speculation online, with many questioning how a winter storm could produce such a colourful display.
BBC weather presenter Simon King explained to Sky News that snow and cloud cover often create a reflective canvas for light. "So at night it's quite common to have that whitish glow when it's snowing and you've got street lights," he said. "In this case, the mystery is the source of the light."
The Culprit: Birmingham City Football Club
The source of the mysterious pink light was soon identified. According to reports from BirminghamLive, aerial views of the city pinpointed the origin to Birmingham City Stadium. Powerful pink-tinted grow lights, used to maintain the pitch at Birmingham City Football Club, were beaming upwards, illuminating the low cloud and falling snow.
This man-made light source, combined with the perfect reflective conditions created by the winter storm, resulted in the surreal pink sky that captivated the city. The explanation ended theories that the light was a purely natural atmospheric effect.
Storm Goretti's Impact and Forecast
Storm Goretti, named by the French meteorological service Meteo-France, delivered significant disruption alongside the light show. The Met Office had issued an amber weather warning for snow covering Wales, the Midlands, and parts of northern England.
Forecasts indicated that Birmingham would experience persistent snow flurries from the early hours of Friday, January 9, through to 8am. However, a respite was predicted, with the snow expected to stop and the amber warning lifted from 9am onwards.
The event will be remembered as a striking intersection of extreme weather and urban infrastructure, providing both a moment of wonder and a reminder of the incoming storm's power.
