Fact Check: Are Red Skies in Indonesia and Japan Signs of a Major Disaster? - Tempo.co English
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A video claiming to show a red sky phenomenon in Indonesia and Japan was shared by an Arabic-language account on X [archived] and a Spanish-language account on Instagram on September 7, 2026. The phenomenon was linked to predictions of an impending major disaster in both countries. Is this claim true?
Tempo verified the content using reverse image searches and confirmation from credible sources. The results show that the events in the video took place in Japan and Canada and are unrelated to signs of a major disaster.
The first clip, showing an orange sky, is identical to a post by the X account @hyuga_sei1 on September 7, 2026. The account owner stated that the video was recorded in Nagoya, Japan, while it was raining.
Weather data from weatherspark.com indicates that Nagoya experienced localized rain on September 7, 2026. Heavy rainfall peaked on Tuesday, September 8, triggering an emergency flood warning.
The second clip features footage by a Canadian artist, reposted by the Instagram account @pacificnorthwestkate on September 3, 2026. The video was filmed at Roberts Bank in Vancouver, Canada, during the autumn season.
The flock of birds passing overhead consists of snow geese migrating from Wrangel Island, Russia, toward the Pacific coast. Roberts Bank is a Ramsar-designated wetland conservation area that serves as a stopover for migratory birds.
BMKG weather forecaster Yuni Maharani explained that the change in sky color is caused by the scattering of sunlight in the atmosphere. When the sun is near the horizon during the morning or late afternoon, sunlight travels a longer path, causing red and orange hues to appear dominant.
"Additionally, the presence of clouds, water vapor, dust, aerosols, smoke, or pollution in the atmosphere can also influence the sky's intensity and color," Yuni said via WhatsApp on Friday, September 11, 2026.
Yuni added that the reflection of artificial light off clouds, as well as camera settings, can make the red color appear more intense. This atmospheric optical phenomenon cannot be used as an indicator to predict earthquakes, tsunamis, or volcanic eruptions.
Tempo's verification concludes that the narrative claiming videos of red skies in Indonesia and Japan are signs of a major disaster is a false claim.
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