When reports surface of fish raining from the sky, it often sounds like something out of a fictional tale. However, this unusual meteorological event, known as “animal rain,” is a real, albeit rare, natural phenomenon. It involves the transport of small creatures, most commonly fish, by powerful weather systems before they fall back to Earth.
The Science of Animal Rainfall
The primary mechanism behind animal rain involves strong atmospheric updrafts, often associated with severe weather. When a tornado forms over a body of water, it becomes a waterspout. These waterspouts act like powerful vacuums, capable of drawing small aquatic animals from the surface of a lake, pond, or even a shallow ocean area. The low-pressure central vortex within the waterspout is strong enough to lift these objects high into the atmosphere.
Once lifted, the animals are carried aloft within the storm system. As the waterspout or strong updraft loses its energy or dissipates, the wind speed decreases. This reduction in atmospheric force causes the carried animals to lose momentum and fall back to the ground. The process can result in animals landing far from their original habitat, giving the appearance of them “raining” from the sky.
What Falls From the Sky
Animal rain involves small, lightweight aquatic creatures that are easily swept up by strong winds. Fish are the most commonly reported animals in these events, often small species like minnows or sardines. Frogs and toads are also carried aloft, along with invertebrates such as worms or spiders.
The size of the animals is a significant factor; larger or heavier creatures are less likely to be lifted and transported by these weather systems. Upon falling, animals are often found stunned, disoriented, or sometimes deceased. In some instances, the creatures may even be encased in ice or hail if they reached very high, cold altitudes within the storm.
Documented Cases and Characteristics
Reports of animal rain have been recorded globally for centuries. Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder documented storms of frogs and fish in the first century AD, and similar accounts have emerged from various countries throughout history. More recent instances include fish falling in Sri Lanka in 2014 and in Texarkana, Texas, in 2021.
A notable characteristic of these events is their localized nature; the “rain” of animals typically covers a relatively small area. Observers also frequently note that the fallen animals are usually of the same species or a very limited variety, rather than a mix of different creatures. This uniformity occurs because the updraft or waterspout tends to pick up animals that are clustered together in a specific location.