Footage of a Giant Black Cloud Covering Istanbul’s Sky Is Outdated
The Claim
A recent video shows a giant black cloud covering Istanbul’s Sky.
News posted on
Emerging story
Social media users shared a video clip claiming to show a huge dark cloud covering Istanbul, Turkey, lasting for a short duration of five minutes.
X users and pages circulated the video accompanied by a similar caption, such as, “For a brief period of five minutes, a massive black cloud enveloped the city of Istanbul, Turkey. It was as though night had descended upon the city, plunging it into darkness.”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the footage and found the claim to be misleading.
A thorough reverse image search revealed the video making the rounds to be older than claimed.
The Video Shows a Black Cloud Over Istanbul in April 2023
Contrary to the circulating claim, the video does not feature a recent massive black cloud covering Istanbul’s sky. The video dates back to April 2023.
Turanews, a news website, uploaded the video to a published article on April 20, 2023. The video was originally published by TRT Haber’s YouTube channel.
Tansu YEĞEN, an X user, also published the same video on April 19, under the caption, “Yesterday Istanbul was suddenly covered by a giant black cloud up to ten kilometers in size. The Sun was not visible for 5 minutes and the city became dark, as if at night.”
A Mysterious Black Cloud Over Istanbul
Istanbul suddenly transformed into nighttime during the middle of the day as a menacing black cloud rolled over the sky. The Turkish metropolis turned pitch-black as a swirling cloud descended upon the city.
The Turkish meteorological forum, Hava Forum, tweeted about the incident, stating, "A cloud 7 kilometers thick passed over Istanbul. In the meantime, the sun disappeared in 5 minutes, and the day turned into night. Some people commented on the apocalypse."
As this ominous cloud descended over Istanbul, heavy rain began to pour down on the city, leaving other internet users baffled. TechnoPixel, a technology news site, suggested that this thick cloud might have been a particularly large and dark cumulonimbus cloud, also known as thunderclouds.
What Are Cumulonimbus Clouds?
Cumulonimbus clouds are imposing multi-level cloud formations that reach great heights into the atmosphere, appearing as towering structures or columns. They are more commonly recognized as thunderclouds and are the sole cloud type capable of generating hail, thunder, and lightning. Typically, the cloud's lower portion has a flat appearance with a dark, wall-like feature suspended beneath it, and it can lie just a few hundred feet above the Earth's surface.
Read More
“UFO Clouds” Seen Over the Bay Area Were Lenticular Clouds
This Footage of Lighting Before Morocco’s Recent Earthquake Is Edited
