Freaks of Nature Thursdays: Weird Weather

Breast clouds, fish rain and sailing stones.

Do you want your mind blown? Then read on brave adventurer…

Nature is often odd, sometimes strange and regularly downright weird. Here are some freaky natural phenomenon some which can be explained and some of which, well….

Green living: Penitentes Photo by Human Under Construction

Penitentes

These ice spikes grow on glaciers and are named for their resemblance to processions of hooded monks. Penitentes can grow up to 5 meters and are formed when refracted light melts glacial snow.

Green Living: Its raining fish in Honduras! Photo Courtesy of Share 2 Aware

Its raining…. Fish!

It’s no biggie… it rains fish in Yoro, Honduras so often, they have been having a fish rain festival since 1997. The 6 to 8 inch fish are the blind, cave-dwelling kind (origin unknown) that end up on the ground after an hour or two of heavy rains. The phenomenon occurs about twice a year and locals fry up the fish to eat. Raining fish may be odd, but it is preferable to Argentina’s…

Green Living: Rain of Spiders Argentina photo from Share 2 Aware

Rain of Spiders

Thankfully, the rain of spiders has only occurred once on April 6, 2007. Christian Oneto managed to capture the rain of spiders as he and his friends hiked the Salta Province. The spiders were roughly the same size, but in many different colours.

Green Living: Death Valley Sailing Stones photo courtesy Oddee.com

Sailing Stones of Death Valley

The packed-mud floor of Death Valely plays host to a truly strange phenomenon. Rocks weighing hundreds of pounds shimmy across the desert floor under their own volition. Some scientists have theorized that strong winds and ice nudge the stones along, but the strong winds necessary to move the larger stones simply do not occur in Death Valley. Also, stones that are next to each other one day will move in disparate directions overnight and at different rates.

Green living: Photo by Jorn Olsen

Mammatus Clouds
The mammatocumulus, or ‘breast’ clouds, consist of ice. Their portentous misdemeanor is not misplaced; they harbour ominous thunderstorms.

Watch an amazing animal rain video.

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