Rainbows appear when water droplets are lit by direct sunlight, a condition that rarely occurs during a storm because the clouds block the sun. Rainbows are frequently seen after a storm, when the falling rain has moved into the distance and the sun is roughly behind the observer when the observer is facing the patch of rain. | Rainbows appear when water droplets are lit by direct sunlight, a condition that rarely occurs during a storm because the clouds block the sun. Rainbows are frequently seen after a storm, when the falling rain has moved into the distance and the sun is roughly behind the observer when the observer is facing the patch of rain. |