Since we deal with weather on a daily basis, you will be shocked to learn some bizarre and incredible facts about the weather.
There is an unexpected and unpredictable element to the weather, ranging from fish falling from the sky to lightning strikes.
Let’s explore some of the most bizarre yet real facts about the weather that you might find difficult to accept.
True Facts about the Weather
Lightning Can Strike the Same Place Twice
Despite what is commonly believed, lightning may and frequently does strike the same location more than once, especially near tall things like trees or buildings.
In reality, lightning strikes the Empire State Building in New York between 20 and 25 times a year.
This is because lightning prefers to target the tallest objects in its route, thus the belief that it never strikes the same area twice is more of a myth than a scientific reality.
Raindrops Aren’t Tear-Shaped
Raindrops are not formed like teardrops, unlike what cartoons and images portray. Because of surface tension, raindrops begin as spheres when they initially form.
The drop becomes less shaped like a tear and more like a tiny hamburger bun as they fall due to air resistance.
The misconception most likely originated from the appearance of water droplets as they hang from an item before dropping.
Fish Can Fall From the Sky During Tornadoes
While it sounds like something from fantasy facts about the weather, fish shooting out of the sky is a real case that is typically brought on by powerful waterspouts or tornadoes that transport marine life out of bodies of water.
When the storm weakens, these animals which can include fish and frogs can be taken kilometers away and thrown over land.
This uncommon but amazing phenomenon, dubbed “animal rain,” has been documented in Australia, Honduras, Japan, and other locations.
The Sahara Desert Gets Snow
Snow is the last thing that springs to mind when you think of the Sahara Desert. Yet there have been rare occasions when this vast desert has been covered in white.
The most well-known facts about the weather occurred in 2018 when around 16 inches of snow fell in some areas of the Sahara.
This is the result of rain interacting with cold air moving southward from Europe, creating sand and snow an unexpected look.
Hailstones Can Be the Size of Softballs
Even though they happen often, it is amazing that hailstones the size of softballs have been observed.
The biggest hailstone discovered in the United States had a diameter of eight inches and weighed almost two pounds or roughly the size of a volleyball.
This much hail can potentially harm people and animals trapped in the storm, as well as seriously damage vehicles, homes, and crops.
Antarctica is Technically a Desert
Unbelievably, Antarctica is known as the largest desert in the world.
Antarctica receives considerably less rainfall than the Sahara Desert, with an average yearly rainfall of less than 2 inches, despite its cold climate and harsh landscape.
Despite being one of the worst places on Earth because of its extreme cold and dryness, it is yet considered a desert because of its lack of rainfall.
Volcanic Eruptions Can Affect Weather
Massive volcanic eruptions have the power to discharge gasses and ash that change weather patterns and occasionally cool the Earth’s atmosphere for weeks or even months at a time.
The most famous case is the “Year without a summer” in 1816, which was caused by the Mount Tambora eruption in 1815.
Significant global temperature drops resulted in major crop failures and food shortages worldwide.
Sunlight reflection by volcanic ash particles can cause a brief cooling period known as a “volcanic winter.”
Hurricanes Can Produce Tornadoes
Hurricanes can produce tornadoes as they approach landfall, despite the facts about the weather that they are already strong and destroying storms.
Usually forming in the outer bands of a storm, tornadoes may cause further damage, escalating the destruction.
In reality, Hurricane Ivan in 2004 produced a record-breaking 120 tornadoes as it traveled through the southeastern United States.
One of the main reasons people fear hurricanes so much are because of this double-whammy of meteorological catastrophe.
A Heatwave Once Made the Eiffel Tower Grow
Materials can expand in extremely hot temperatures; once, a heatwave in Paris caused the Eiffel Tower to expand by about six inches.
The main material of the tower is iron, which swells in hot environments.
Even though the change is momentary and not noticeable to the normal eye, it is a facts about the weather reminder of how heat can impact even the most famous buildings.
The World’s Coldest Temperature Was Recorded in Antarctica
A bone-chilling -128.6°F (-89.2°C) was the lowest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica, a place where existence would be practically impossible without sufficient protection.
On July 21, 1983, this record was set at the Vostok Station in the Soviet Union.
Antarctica is among the coldest areas on Earth, with exposed skin potentially freezing in a matter of minutes due to the extreme cold.
Snow Facts About the Weather
Even though most people only think of snow as being white, facts of colored snowfall including pink and red snow have been made possible by dust and algae particles.
In some areas, cold-loving algae can give the snow a pink or reddish color, lending rise to the nickname “watermelon snow.”
Similar to this, snow clouds in dry places can combine with dust storms, providing the snow a darker reddish or orange hue. It is a surprise spin on the classic winter wonderland.
Weather is Full of Surprises
In addition to being unpredictable, the weather frequently produces odd and surprising phenomena that throw doubt on our assumptions about the nature of reality.
These strange but actual facts about the weather, including fish dropping from the sky and snow in the Sahara, act as a reminder of how amazing and strange our world can be.
“Watch this unbelievable video of fish raining from the sky! You won’t believe your eyes click here to see it!”
Read Also: Curious about more mind-blowing mysteries? Explore the most mysterious places on Earth you’ve never heard of.
