Fact Check: Viral Video Of ‘Shelf Cloud’ In Haridwar Is Not Recent
Vishvas News found in its investigation that the viral video of a ‘shelf cloud’ in Haridwar is not recent, but dates back to July 2023. The old video is being shared on social media with a misleading claim, presenting it as an event from December 18, 2025.
- By: Pallavi Mishra
- Published: Dec 22, 2025 at 05:31 PM
- Updated: Jan 5, 2026 at 11:35 AM
New Delhi (Vishvas News). A video showing a massive shelf cloud formation is going viral on social media. The post claims that it was spotted over Haridwar on December 18, 2025.
Vishvas News’ investigation revealed that this video is misleading and dates back to July 2023, when this sight was witnessed near Haridwar. An old video from that time is now being circulated as recent to create confusion.
What is the viral post?
Instagram user suraj_y1407 shared this video on December 18, 2025, with the caption, “This is a video from Haridwar road, just now. 18/12/2025. The world is really going to end.”
Investigation
To investigate the viral post, we searched the screenshots of this clip using Google Lens. We found this video uploaded on the YouTube channel of Business Standard on July 12, 2023. The video report stated that this shelf cloud was seen near Haridwar on July 11, 2023.
Searching with related keywords, we found several news reports from July 2023 about this striking cloud formation seen over Haridwar. ABP Live’s news report from July 11, 2023, also featured this video and stated that this phenomenon was observed in Haridwar.
A news report from NDTV on July 16, 2023, also identified the viral video as being from Haridwar.
A search using keywords did not yield any recent news reports of such cloud formations in or around Haridwar.
For confirmation, we also spoke to Sunil Negi, the Uttarakhand Digital Head of Dainik Jagran, and he confirmed that the video dates back to July 2023.
What is a ‘Shelf Cloud’?
A shelf cloud, also known scientifically as an Arcus cloud, is a spectacular and often frightening-looking cloud formation that typically appears before a thunderstorm.
Finally, we scanned the profile of the Instagram user ‘Suraj Yadav’, who shared the video, and found that the user has approximately 4000 followers.
Conclusion: Vishvas News found in its investigation that the viral video of a ‘shelf cloud’ in Haridwar is not recent, but dates back to July 2023. The old video is being shared on social media with a misleading claim, presenting it as an event from December 18, 2025.
- Claim Review : Shelf Cloud spotted over spotted over Haridwar on December 18, 2025.
- Claimed By : Instagram user suraj_y1407
- Fact Check : Misleading
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