If there really was a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow, the British Isles would be a very wealthy place at the moment.
Sunshine and heavy showers occurring in most parts of the country after Storm Aileen have created perfect conditions for the colourful arcs, forecasters say.
The rainbows have been made particularly vivid owing to a combination of large water droplets and sunlight which is still strong but lower in the sky than during the summer.
In some lucky locations, double rainbows have been seen – including a pair which, fittingly, appeared to end amongst the skyscrapers of the City of London’s financial institutions.
Perfect curve: A rainbow lines up with a whale jaw in the Yorkshire seaside town
Vibrant: A particularly bright pair of rainbows stretch across the sky in West Pinchbeck
Glowing: A gorgeous Lancashire sunset turns a rainbow a flaming orange colour
Unusual: A double rainbow, where sunlight is reflected twice, at Belfast’s Botanic Gardens
Some 250 miles south west, a rainbow framed the harbour at Fowey in Cornwall, while in Scotland another straddled the Great Glen from the mountains on one side of Loch Ness to the other.
More double rainbows could be seen among the Cumbrian fells, and Lincolnshire fens.
Many photographers, amateur and professional alike, posted images of the stunning autumnal scenes on social media.
At wetlands in Beaumont, Essex, professional photographer Matthew Mallett captured a double rainbow which was then reflected in the water.
He entitled his picture-postcard snap ‘Swallows, Rainbows and Reflections’.
Commenting on the frequency of rainbows during the current showery spell, he wrote: ‘(You) used to have to wait for the Wizard of Oz for a rainbow. Every day now.’
Shining: The beach at Barry is lit up by a rainbow and its just-visible double
Dazzling: Colours sweep across the sky by the mouth of the river Fowey
Bridge of colour: A rainbow arches over the water at the Scottish landmark of Loch Ness
Meanwhile, Sonia Bashir showed off a view of a rainbow arched around a patch of blue sky in Preston, Lancashire.
Further brilliant rainbows occurred in an array of locations: Belfast; Gatwick Airport; Oswestry, Shropshire; Merseyside: Northumberland; the Peak District; Barry, South Wales; Whitby and Whitley Bay on the East Coast.
The heavy showers on Wednesday and yesterday, which followed the rain and gale-force winds of Aileen – the first named storm of the autumn – are set to continue over the weekend, meaning potential for even more stunning rainbow scenes.
Sunshine and showers: Mixed weather in Oswestry created a huge arc
Picturesque: An old Citroen 2CV is framed by a rainbow near Bakewell in the Peak District
Nicola Maxey, spokeswoman for the Met Office, said: ‘The type of rain we are having at the moment does mean more and brighter rainbows.
‘Essentially, the more water droplets, the more water there is for the light to refract through, so the brighter the rainbows.’
And with the growing number of people carrying smartphones with high quality cameras, opportunities to photograph them and share the pictures have never been greater.
Today’s weather is forecast to involve sunshine and showers across the country but there could be hail and thunder in the South and East.
Miss Maxey said: ‘We have a series of low pressure systems and weather fronts crossing the country bringing the showers, and those will continue into the weekend.’
Autumnal: A rainbow brightens up a day of showers and grey skies at the airport
Stunning: Photographer Matthew Mallett tweeted this beauty captured in Beaumont
Tomorrow is again due to be showery across the UK, but a brief ridge of high pressure on Sunday will bring drier conditions.
There will still be the risk of a shower or two even then, however, most likely during the afternoon and in the South.
Temperatures are due to climb to a maximum of just 17C (63F) in London and the South-East, and 15C (59F) in Northern England.
Miss Maxey said overnight lows could fall to 6C (41F) in Northern cities but could be lower in the countryside, risking ground frost.
A further cold front is due to arrive on Monday bringing yet more showers.
Rainbows can only be seen when the sun is below a 42-degree angle between the sky and ground, and behind the viewer.
The sun’s rays hit water droplets from rainfall in the sky ahead, and the spectrum of colours occurs because of how the white sunlight is refracted by the raindrops.