Glastonbury Tor Captures Majestic Rainbow Amid Approaching Storm

A striking image of Glastonbury Tor, taken at dawn on Thursday, October 22, features a brilliant rainbow set against a sky illuminated by the rising sun as storm clouds gathered. The photograph, captured by Michelle Cowbourne, shows the tower of St Michael's Church atop the ancient Somerset landmark.

The scene depicted a vivid sky with hues of orange and deep blue, bisected by a symmetrical rainbow. Cowbourne described the moment as occurring just after "torrential rain" subsided. "As the sun rose the clouds rolled in from the west, the torrential rain came just as the sun cleared the horizon and the sky lit up with orange to the left of the scene and dark to the right," she explained. "Then a vivid rainbow appeared above and lasted for just a few moments. It's always exciting when a rainbow appears as it is fairly fast moving, trying to keep the camera as dry as possible and still get the photos. I was absolutely drenched myself."

Cowbourne also managed to photograph the rainbow from within St Michael's Church, with the sunrise casting a yellow glow over the hill and the town below.

The picturesque display coincided with forecasts for Storm Austen to reach Somerset, bringing gusts of 50 to 60 mph from Thursday night into Friday, with potential for gusts exceeding 70 mph in exposed coastal areas. The Met Office issued an amber wind warning for the far South West, including Devon and Cornwall, from 1 am to 10 am on Friday, anticipating gusts of 60 to 70 mph, possibly reaching 80 mph in exposed locations. Yellow warnings for wind were also in place for wider regions of the South West, South Wales, and along England's South Coast.