It's Raining Fish-- Hallelujah!
Mar 1, 2010; 9:32 AM ET
The storm that caused fish to fall from the sky is moving southeastward over Queensland.
Torrential rain from a massive storm still moving southeastward through Australia could have caused fish to fall from the sky.
According to reports from people living in the small town of Lajamanu in the Northern Territory of Australia, tiny white fish fell from the sky on Thursday and Friday afternoon.
Central Australia, as well as the Top End, received 5 to 6 inches of rain from this system.
AccuWeather.com meteorologists think that thunderstorms and heavy winds could have caused an updraft that picked up water and fish.
Conditions were conducive for a tornado to form in the area on Friday, which also could have picked up the fish and caused them to fall. However, there were no official reports of any tornado activity.
This rainmaker is currently over Queensland, which has been drenched with 3 to 4 inches of rain in the last 24-hour period.
Wet conditions will continue to plague Queensland through tomorrow, with the weather set to dry out for the Northern Territory over the next several days.
The fish were reported to be spangled perch, common to northern Australia. Other incidents of falling fish occurred in Australia in 2004 and 1974.
Other Weird Weather
A turtle reportedly fell from the sky after a severe hailstorm in 1894 in Mississippi.
After a huge storm in Dorset, England, lumps of coal fell from the sky in June of 1983.
A thunderstorm in 1939 in also caused frogs to fall in Wiltshire, England.
Animals are often picked up during tornados, waterspouts and in updrafts from severe thunderstorms, falling back down from the sky-- a form of unusual precipitation!
Story by AccuWeather.com's Carly Porter.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 113° | Death Valley, CA |
| Low | 30° | Bellemont, AZ |
| Precip | 9.70" | Miami, FL |
WeatherWhys®
A large, horrific tornado struck the city of Joplin, Mo., last year on this date. The twister cut a deadly path across the south side of the city, leaving over 159 dead and at least 1,150 injured. The Joplin tornado currently ranks as the 7th deadliest tornado in U.S. history.
This Day In Weather History
New Hampshire (1814)
A tornado crossed Merrimac, Litchfield, Londonderry and North Chester. The same storm produced hailstones that had an 11-inch circumference and weighed 1/2 pound.
Northeast (1989)
More rain in an already wet month. Monthly totals topped 11 inches at New York City, 9 inches at Bridgeport, Conn., and 8 inches at Baltimore (all three totals set records for May).
Rough Weather
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