Nature often reveals its mysterious and unpredictable side through a variety of weird and extraordinary weather phenomena. From fire tornadoes dancing amid wildfires to showers of "blood rain," these inexplicable occurrences continue to captivate and baffle scientists and enthusiasts alike.
Firenado
Fire tornadoes, although seeming implausible, are real occurrences resulting from the combination of fire and whirlwind under specific conditions, holding destructive potential.
A firenado, also called a fire whirl or fire twister, is a fiery vortex formed from tightly rotating air with a burning core, resembling a thin column of orange flames.
These phenomena originate from the heat of wildfires generating super-hot air near the ground, leading to atmospheric instability that mirrors the creation of dust devils. On a larger scale, thunderstorm-driven tornadoes formed by the merging of warm, moist air and cooler, dry air.
Blood Rain
For centuries, people have tried to understand the mysterious phenomenon of red rain. In the 17th and 18th centuries, French and Italian scientists attempted to explain it scientifically. Witnessed as a potential divine warning before the Black Plague, historical records documented numerous instances of red rain by that period.
On 2001 and 2012, India and Sri Lanka respectively experienced red rain shortly after a loud explosion and bright light flashes. The red raindrops stained clothes and led to flooding in the affected regions, lasting for a significant period. These events raise questions about origins and potential connections to the strange weather phenomenon.
On the other hand, an Indian research suggests that blood rain is caused by 10-micrometer cells with pH 7, containing metallic elements and Trentepohlia lichen, which grows during rain and reacts with spores to create red hue; other rain colors that are unexplained are possibly linked to lichen and airborne elements.
Aurora
Near the North or South Pole, captivating auroras can be seen with the northern lights or aurora borealis near the North Pole and the southern lights or aurora australis near the South Pole.
Auroras happen because of the Sun, which emits various forms of energy and particles, largely blocked by Earth's magnetic field. Solar storms, like coronal mass ejections (CEMs), release electrified gas bubbles that, when reaching Earth's atmosphere, create stunning light displays due to particle interactions with gases-oxygen producing green and red light, while nitrogen emits blue and purple hues.
Ball Lightning
Ball lightning, captivating and enigmatic glowing orbs that often emerge during thunderstorms with varying colors and short-lived durations, have intrigued observers for centuries, sometimes accompanied by hissing sounds and peculiar smells.
Researchers believe the theory that ball lightning forms from a ground strike that triggers a reaction between oxygen and vaporized soil elements, creating ionized air or plasma similar to St. Elmo's Fire.
Glass presence might generate ball lightning due to ions accumulating on a window's surface, generating an electrical field for discharge, while microwave radiation from lightning strikes could create encapsulated plasma bubbles causing ball lightning, as proposed by other theories.
Despite experiments and research, ball lightning remains elusive, tied to earthquakes and atmospheric phenomena, continuing to perplex scientists.
Animal Rain
Throughout history, various cultures have documented rare instances of animals falling from the sky, with fish and amphibians being the most commonly reported types, evidenced by engravings dating back centuries. Recent years have witnessed reports of fish rain in Australia, the Philippines, and India, as well as frog falls in Japan and Hungary.
Scientists explain that animals falling from the sky may happen due to tornadic waterspouts, which are tornadoes that form over land and move over water, resulting in powerful updrafts that can lift animals into the atmosphere.
These waterspouts can transport animals high into the air. When they eventually dissipate, the animals are released far from their original habitat, leading to the phenomenon of animals raining from the sky.
RELATED ARTICLE: It Rained Fish in Texas! Rare 'Animal Rain' Forms A Storm From Waterspouts
Check out more news and information on Weather in Science Times.
