
Some theories suggest it’s related to the electrical discharge that occurs during a lightning strike, while others think it could be a type of plasma. No wonder the event has since been blamed on the devil in local legends.ĭespite numerous reports of ball lightning, scientists have struggled to explain what causes these strange weather phenomena.
It pierced the window, killing four people and injuring about 60 others. The first documented ball lightning strike hit a church in England in 1638 during an afternoon mass with 300 worshippers. After all, there are various reports of ball lightning associated with churches. It is not surprising that religious or superstitious people look at the glowing fireball suspiciously. It’s a small, glowing sphere of light that appears during thunderstorms and can float or bounce along the ground for several seconds. Ball Lightningīall lightning belongs to rare and mysterious weather events that have been reported by witnesses for centuries.
In this video, you can see how the city was swallowed by darkness in broad daylight. The most recent shelf cloud appeared on April 19, 2022, in Istanbul. The shelf cloud can be quite striking, with a dark, ominous appearance. When the outflow boundary meets low-level moisture, it can create a characteristic “shelf cloud” extending along the leading edge of the arcus cloud.
An outflow boundary looking like a dark, rolling cloud between the cooler and the warmer air appears. As the gust front advances, it lifts warm, moist air. A thunderstorm with strong outflow winds (a gust front) occurs. These weather anomalies often have a distinct wedge or arch-like shape, hence the name “arcus,” which is Latin for “arch.” It appears as a long, low, horizontal band of cloud. Image source: John Kerstholt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsĪlso known as a morning glory cloud, arcus is a type of low-level, horizontal cloud formation. Scientists still don’t fully understand how they form, but their formation may result from the interaction between updrafts and downdrafts within a storm. They often appear during or after thunderstorms, and while they look menacing, they’re mostly harmless. Mammatus clouds form when cold, sinking air pockets push the cloud base, causing it to bulge and create distinctive pouch-like shapes. They are typically smooth on the bottom and have a more textured appearance on the top. Mammatus clouds are weather phenomena that resemble a huge bubble wrap stuck to the cloud base. You’ve probably seen pictures of these ominous-looking clouds before. Image source: Riazmusthafa, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Now let’s take a closer look at each of these weather phenomena. Weather phenomenon Short description First record Mammatus clouds Clouds looking like bubbles 1894 Arcus clouds Horizontal, band-like cloud formations 1942 Ball lightning Lightning looking like a ball that can move 1638 Frost flowers Ice formations on the ground 1833 Virga Precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground No record Sun dogs A halo that looks like a second sun 384-322 BC Brinicles Underwater ice stalactites 1960 But did you know that some weather phenomena are lesser-known, yet just as fascinating? In this article, we’ll describe some of these weather mysteries.
From stunning sunsets to terrifying thunderstorms, there’s always something happening in the sky.