They are said to sometimes be able to pass through walls, which is why they are often associated with aliens and ghosts and have been mistaken for UFO’s on several occasions. They typically appear during thunderstorms and can last longer than a second, which is longer than regular lightning. These orbs can flash a number of different colours and shine as brightly as a 100-watt bulb. In 1923, a fire whirl was created during Japan’s Great Kanto Earthquake and killed 38,000 people in just 15 minutes.īall Lightning Credit: Storm Wolf/Flickr.īall lightning is a rare and unpredictable variation of regular lightening that appears as a large, circular flash of light. Very rarely, they can grow to become actual tornadoes, which are very dangerous. They can also be made up of flame and ash. It has been witnessed and documented in nearly 200 volcanic eruptions over the last 200 years.Ī fire whirl – also sometimes known as a fire devil or a fire tornado – form when cool air collides with rising heat, often in conjunction with extremely high winds. When they burst out into the open air and separate, electricity flows and creates a dirty thunderstorm. Ash particles rub against each other causing friction. They form inside thick volcanic ash plumes. They are so delicate that once exposed to sunlight, they melt, which is why they’re rarely seen.ĭirty Thunderstorm Credit: Carlos Gutierrez.Ī dirty thunderstorm – also known as volcanic lightening – is a rare phenomenon associated with large volcanic eruptions. Frost flowers only form on a select number of plants including a couple of Missouri native wildflowers. This additional water then freezes and forms these dainty flower-like formations. Water is then drawn up from the soil, forcing more water into the cold air. They are created when sap in plant stems freezes and expands, causing the stem to split. Moonbows are much fairer than rainbows and that’s because they are formed when a full moon’s rays refract water particles in mist.Īs beautiful as they are rare, frost flowers occur during the first big freeze, when the ground isn’t yet frozen and moisture is still being supplied by the roots to the stems of a several plants. The formation of a moonbow is exactly the same as a rainbow, other than the source of light. A moonbow is similar to a rainbow but is produced by moonlight as opposed to sunlight. On rare misty nights, a very lucky few have witnessed one of the rarest natural phenomena in the world – a moonbow.
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Hair ice grows during the night and starts to melt as the sun rises. A study found that the fungus aided the ice growth into thin strands and helped keep the strands in their shape. A fungus known as Exodopsis Effusa is believed to be the key to its formation. It’s relatively rare and has been reported in broadleaf forests that have latitudes between 45 and 55 degree N. In this article, we shall take a look at some of the most unique and rare weather phenomena.Īptly named, hair ice is a type of ice that forms on dead wood and looks eerily similar to white, silky hair. While the vast majority of us will never be lucky enough to witness anything more exciting than a double rainbow or obscure cloud formations, there are a number of unique weather oddities that occur in nature. The science of weather is certainly intriguing and weather anomalies are a source of fascination for a number of us. Article Photograph Credit: The Asahi Shimbun/Getty