Unusual clouds are not evidence Hurricane Milton was caused by HAARP

Posts on social media have falsely claimed that a research project studying the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere caused Hurricane Milton, and that an accompanying video of swirling clouds is evidence of geoengineering.

Claims shared on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook linked the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) in Gakona, Alaska with Hurricane Milton, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Florida on 9 October.

Several posts on Facebook use similar captions saying: “HAARP Created Hurricane Milton. This is what Geo Engineering looks like.” Many also share a video of dark grey clouds above a beach in an unusual formation.

However, the equipment used by HAARP would not be capable of creating a hurricane. Nor do these clouds, which were photographed in 2021, have anything to do with Hurricane Milton.

What does HAARP do?

HAARP is a high-frequency transmitter, which is used to study higher layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, the ionosphere and the thermosphere, starting at an altitude of around 60 km.

Using a number of antennas spread across 33 acres, it is designed to transmit radio waves into the ionosphere to cause electrons to move in waves to study how the ionosphere reacts to changing conditions. 

But, as we recently confirmed, the radio waves from HAARP’s experiments would not cause or create hurricanes, which do not form in the ionosphere or thermosphere.

Chris Scott, Professor in Space and Atmospherics at the University of Reading told Full Fact that HAARP is being used to study how the sun and solar wind interact with Earth’s atmosphere to cause the Northern Lights, also called the aurora borealis. 

“HAARP is not responsible for causing Hurricane Milton or any other type of storm,” he said via email. “The technology to artificially create storms—especially Category 5 storms—does not exist. It is pure science fiction to suggest we have the technological prowess to develop deadly hurricanes. 

“Hurricanes form naturally over warm tropical oceans. Rising warm air creates an area of low pressure. Surrounding air rushes in, creating wind. 

“The Earth's rotation causes the system to spin. As it grows, it feeds on warm ocean water, intensifying wind speeds and forming the characteristic spiral structure of a hurricane. An increase in the intensity of such storms is predicted to result from climate change.”

Dr Ciaran Beggan at the British Geological Survey also told us: “HAARP is just a radio transmitter that points up rather than horizontally.”

HAARP Director Jessica Matthews said, in response to a query from Full Fact on whether it can affect hurricanes: “The research equipment at the HAARP facility is not capable of generating or amplifying such events.”

We have previously fact checked false claims that HAARP can cause the Northern Lights and peculiar clouds.

Where is the video from?

The video footage dates from 2021, and shows asperitas clouds over Fort Walton Beach in Florida. It is a distinctive, but relatively rare cloud formation that takes the appearance of rippling waves.

While the Met Office says it is not known exactly what conditions cause asperitas clouds to form, theories include the involvement of convective thunderstorms, or mammatus clouds descending into areas of the sky where wind direction changes with height causing the wave-like movement.

The term ‘asperitas’ was officially included as a new cloud ‘supplementary feature’ classification of main cloud types Altocumulus and Stratocumulus in 2017.

We have previously debunked a number of false claims about weather manipulation and geoengineering, including chemtrails theories.

Misinformation about significant weather events and natural disasters often spreads quickly on social media, so it’s important to consider whether what you are seeing is genuine before sharing. Our toolkit provides  guides on how to verify pictures and videos.