When rain falls while the sun is shining, it creates a striking atmospheric display. Sunlight illuminates the falling raindrops, sometimes creating rainbows and casting a distinct glow on the landscape. This weather phenomenon is often called a sunshower.
The Science Behind It
This atmospheric event results from specific meteorological conditions. One common explanation involves strong prevailing winds carrying raindrops horizontally from a distant rain cloud into an area where the sun is visible. Raindrops can take several minutes to reach the ground, allowing winds to transport them miles away from their originating cloud.
Another way this phenomenon occurs is when a rain cloud rapidly dissipates. As raindrops begin to fall, the cloud itself might be losing moisture and breaking apart due to rising temperatures or a lack of additional condensation. By the time the last raindrops reach the surface, the cloud that produced them may have already vanished or moved on, leaving only sunshine. This event requires the precise alignment of isolated rain clouds and the sun’s angle, sometimes allowing sunlight to pass beneath or around cloud edges.
Common and Unique Names
The most widely recognized term for this meteorological occurrence in English-speaking regions is “sunshower.” This phenomenon has inspired a rich variety of names across different cultures and languages worldwide. Many of these terms reflect local observations or playful interpretations of the weather.
For example, in South Africa, it is frequently referred to as a “monkey’s wedding,” a phrase also found in parts of the Caribbean. In the Southern United States, a common phrase is “the devil is beating his wife.” Other names include “fox’s wedding” in Japan and various parts of Asia, and “jackal’s wedding” in some regions of India and the Middle East.
Global Folklore and Beliefs
The unexpected combination of sunshine and rain has long sparked imagination, leading to various myths and folklore across the globe. In the Southern United States, a widespread belief is that a sunshower signifies “the devil beating his wife.” This saying suggests the devil is angry about God creating a sunny day, and his wife’s tears become the rain.
In many Asian cultures, especially in Japan, a sunshower is known as “kitsune no yomeiri,” or “the fox’s wedding.” Folklore suggests that foxes hold their weddings during these brief showers, creating the rain to obscure their secret processions from human eyes. This belief is also present in Korea and parts of India, where similar “animal wedding” narratives exist for foxes, jackals, or monkeys. Such stories transform a simple weather event into a moment infused with magical or supernatural significance.