What exactly is happening when I do this?

When I am in tor browser on the safest security level and go to certain websites, I usually get a https-only mode alert- secure site not available. However, if I click “New tor circuit for this site” it reloads and then allows me to browse via https without issue.

Example- I try to connect to us.yahoo.com on the safest security level

"HTTPS-Only Mode Alert

Secure Site Not Available

You’ve enabled HTTPS-Only Mode for enhanced security, and a HTTPS version of consent.yahoo.com is not available."

Then I click “New Tor circuit for this site,” and it works perfectly without the warning. Alternatively, I can just refresh the page, and it works fine.

What exactly is happening in the above case? If it is a problem with the website, why does generating a new tor circuit fix it? Or is it a tor exit node problem, with a tor exit node trying to interfere with the https?

Please explain if you know the answer. Thank you.

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Tor Browser is launching two connections to the site, one to http and one to https. If the http one succeeds but the https one doesn’t answer quickly enough, then this pop-up comes up.

Quoted from https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/tor-browser/-/issues/41068#note_288329