What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
Some of these events have caused untold disaster, while others have made people question whether the apocalypse has arrived. Curious? Click through this gallery to uncover some of history’s weirdest weather occurrences.
In the summer of 1874, a massive swarm of Rocky Mountain locusts descended upon the Great Plains of the United States, devouring crops and causing widespread famine. The swarm was so dense it blocked out the sun, creating a bizarre and terrifying "cloud" of insects.
Following the eruption of Mount Tambora volcano in Indonesia in 1815, clouds of ash in the atmosphere caused global temperatures to drop dramatically. Snow fell in June in New England, and Europe experienced frost in July. Crops failed, leading to widespread food shortages and economic turmoil.
On January 6, 1839, the worst storm in Ireland’s history hit the country, and winds of up to 115 mph (185 km/h) were recorded. The following day saw the sun rise over a devastated landscape, as a quarter of Dublin’s buildings were destroyed and hundreds of thousands of trees fell.
During the Dust Bowl era in the United States in 1935, a massive dust storm swept across the Great Plains on April 14. The storm was so severe that it turned day into night, and many people believed that the apocalypse had come.
On Easter Monday of 1360, a freak hailstorm devastated King Edward III's English army near Chartres during the Hundred Years' War. The storm killed around 1,000 soldiers, and the King considered it to be divine intervention. Peace negotiations ensued, and a temporary halt in hostilities was called.
A powerful and severe dust storm turned day into night across the Texas Panhandle on June 15, 1960. The storm caused widespread damage, including power outages and significant agricultural losses. Its intensity and suddenness earned it the ominous name "Satan's Storm."
Between April 3 and 4, 1974, more than 140 tornadoes wreaked havoc across 13 US states, claiming the lives of some 335 people and causing US$1.2 billion in damage. Some of the tornadoes were reported to be as wide as 5 miles (8 km).
A similar tornado outbreak occurred in 2011 from April 25 to 28, this time much worse. A super outbreak containing 349 tornadoes swept across the Deep South and up into Pennsylvania, leaving a trail of destruction amounting to US$10.8 billion.
On the morning of May 19, 1780, many residents in New England saw the sun turn red and the day turn into night as an unexplainable shadow covered the land. The cause of New England's Dark Day was discovered in 2007 to be the effects of a massive forest fire, which caused smoke to block out the sun.
In December of 1952, a heavy fog descended on the city of London and combined with industrial pollution to create a toxic cloud that lasted five days. The smog was so thick that visibility was near zero, and thousands of people died from respiratory issues.
Most people have seen Edvard Munch’s famous painting ‘The Scream’ (1893), but the red sky seen in it actually tells the story of real-life weather events. Some theories have suggested that Munch witnessed the fallout from the eruption of Krakatoa, which happened in 1883 and turned the sky blood-red for months.
This is a strange weather event that you can actually visit to this day. Every year, for 260 days, the sky over the Catatumbo River lights up with lightning that seemingly never ends. There is an average of 28 flashes of lightning every minute, and no one understands why it happens.
In various parts of Europe during 1571, people reported rain that was red like blood. This eerie event was caused by red-colored dust carried by the wind from the deserts of North Africa, mixing with rain clouds and creating blood-red rainfall.
In February 2010, a rainstorm of fish fell in a torrent over the small town of Lajamanu in the Northern Territory of Australia. The fish were believed to have been picked up by a tornado or water spout and carried several hundred kilometers before falling from the sky.
In April 1986, a storm in Bangladesh produced historic hailstones as large as softballs, with some weighing up to 2.2 lbs (1 kg). The storm caused extensive damage and led to the deaths of over 90 people, making it one of the deadliest hailstorms in history.
During the Carr Fire in California in 2018, intense heat and wind conditions created firenadoes — tornadoes made of fire. These terrifying whirlwinds of flame reached heights of over 1,000 feet (300 meters) and shocking speeds of up to 143 mph (230 km/h).
Part of Siberia saw yellow snow fall from the sky during the winter of 2007. The unusual color was caused by sand from Central Asia mixed with industrial pollution. Although initially alarming, scientists determined the snow was not radioactive or hazardous.
After the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, survivors reported a bizarre, oily black rain falling from the sky. This radioactive rain was caused by the condensation of water vapor mixed with soot and radioactive particles from the explosion.
In 2019, strong winds pushed massive sheets of ice onto the shores of Lake Erie and created an "ice tsunami." These ice walls, some reaching over 30 feet (9 meters) high, crushed homes and cars, causing extensive damage along the coastline.
During an expedition to Antarctica led by Sir Douglas Mawson in 1913, the explorers encountered a terrifying blizzard with winds exceeding 200 mph (320 km/h). The storm was so severe that it left animals frozen in place, their bodies mummified by the cold.
The Great Blizzard of 1888, also known as the Great White Hurricane, struck the northeastern United States and brought winds of 85 mph (136 km/h) and snowfall of up to 55 inches (140 cm). The storm paralyzed New York City and led to the deaths of over 400 people.
In Olympia Springs, Kentucky, chunks of meat fell from the sky for a few minutes on March 3, 1876. Witnesses described the event as pieces of flesh raining down from a clear sky. Scientists speculate that the meat was likely regurgitated by vultures that were flying overhead.
In October 1970, a thick fog in Norway was discovered to be highly acidic, with a pH level similar to vinegar. This acid fog was caused by pollution from a nearby industrial area, leading to widespread damage to crops and buildings.
On August 21, 1986, a noxious cloud spread over Lake Nyos in Cameroon and descended into nearby villages, suffocating over 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock. The cloud was made of carbon dioxide, and was initially thought to come from the sky, but it was actually caused by a rare explosion of gas from the lake (known as a limnic eruption).
On November 11, 1911, a cold front swept across the United States, causing temperatures to drop dramatically within hours. In some areas, temperatures fell by 60°F (16°C) in a matter of minutes, creating a phenomenon known as the Great Blue Norther.
A massive ice storm struck northeastern Canada in January 1998. Everything was coated in a thick layer of ice, and the weight of the ice caused widespread power outages, collapsed trees, and damage to infrastructure. To this day, it is one of the costliest natural disasters in Canadian history.
In Fatima, Portugal, on October 13, 1917, thousands of people looked up at the sky to witness what they described as the "Miracle of the Sun." The sun appeared to dance, change colors, and zigzag across the sky. While the event remains unexplained, some believe it was a rare atmospheric phenomenon.
One of the deadliest cyclones in history struck the Indian city of Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1737. The cyclone produced a massive storm surge that flooded the city, killing an estimated 300,000 people. The sheer scale of destruction from this cyclone remains unmatched almost three centuries later.
Sources: (Grunge) (History.com) (Encyclopedia Britannica) (Weather Underground)
Ultra-rare weather events mistaken for supernatural phenomena
Some of these still have no explanation
LIFESTYLE Climate
The world is truly an interesting and incredibly mysterious place. There are many things that humans are still learning about nature, and there also historical events that we are trying to figure out to this day. While most of the bizarre weather events that have happened in history have rather normal and understandable causes, it certainly doesn’t make them any less strange.
Some of these events have caused untold disaster, while others have made people question whether the apocalypse has arrived. Curious? Click through this gallery to uncover some of history’s weirdest weather occurrences.