The beauty of nature truly lies in its unpredictability. Whether it leads to unexpected and negative situations like tropical storms or enigmatic weather phenomena like a circumhorizontal rainbow, each event is worth memorizing.
Over the decades, there have been numerous rare weather events that people have managed to capture on camera for us to go back and explore.
This detailed guide will walk you through those 25 rare weather phenomena captured on camera that you must witness in this lifetime, albeit virtually this time.
1. Fire Rainbow (Circumhorizontal Arc) – Alaska, USA
The most iconic and picturesque event, the circumhorizontal arc, aka Fire rainbow, occurs in Alaska during the summer months. Formed by sunlight refracting through hexagonal ice crystals in cirrus clouds at high altitudes, fire rainbows require the sun to be at least 58° above the horizon, making them incredibly rare outside of summer months.
2. Catatumbo Lightning – Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela
Although it sounds catastrophic, the event of a Catatumbo Lightning is a mesmerizing event to witness. Warm trade winds meet the Andes Mountains, triggering near-constant electrical storms, sometimes up to 260 nights a year. The silent flashing in the sky is a sight to behold.
3. Ball Lightning – Siberia, Russia
Ball Lightning in Siberia, Russia, is another rare weather event that truly seems like one without explanation. It happened in rural Siberia, leaving the locals stunned. It is believed to result from vaporized silicon reacting with oxygen in the last seconds.
4. Morning Glory Clouds – Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia
These long, tube-shaped clouds roll across the skies of northern Australia, often stretching over 1,000 kilometers. These clouds reportedly form by the collision of sea breezes and descending air currents. The view of these clouds is best seen from the town of Burketown.
5. Ice Circles – Mianus River, Connecticut, USA
A perfectly round rotating ice disc formed in the Mianus River during sub-zero temperatures. The event was first witnessed in 1895 and has appeared more than once over the years. The event usually occurs when cold air cools the river’s surface, creating a slow vortex in the middle.
6. Lenticular Clouds – Mount Rainier, Washington, USA
Many often mistake it for the UFOs, but lenticular clouds are beyond explanation. These lens-shaped clouds usually form when moist air flows over mountains like Mount Rainier. The condensation occurs in stacked layers with the air rising and cooling, forming a disc-like shape.
7. Mammatus Clouds – Kansas, USA
The Mammatus clouds appeared after a violent thunderstorm in Kansas. These clouds often resemble pouch-like clouds hanging upside down, like an egg carton, and they depict turbulent conditions.
8. Hair Ice – Eifel Forest, Germany
First recorded in Germany’s Eifel Forest, scientists captured hair ice forming on decaying wood during cold, humid nights. The structure almost resembled silky, hair-like ice, hence the name. These were formed due to a specific fungus (Exidiopsis effusa) that shapes the freezing water into delicate strands.
9. Brinicle (Ice Finger of Death) – Antarctic Ocean
Underwater footage off Antarctica captured a descending icicle that freezes everything in its path. This rare weather event happens when super-cold brine from sea ice sinks, freezing the surrounding underwater.
10. Sprite Lightning – Above Oklahoma, USA
Unlike your regular lightning, Sprite Lightning is another event in Oklahoma that stunned people. These lightning are high-altitude electrical discharges that appear red and tree-like above thunderstorms. They are also quite tricky to the naked eye.
11. Penitentes – Andes Mountains, Chile
The view of the towering snow formations resembling icy blades, which were seen near Chile’s Atacama Desert. This event happened when high-altitude sunlight and dry air caused snow to sublimate unevenly.
12. Supercell Thunderstorm – Texas Panhandle, USA
A rotating, sculpted thunderstorm was captured in Texas, indicating it as one of the most severe forms of thunderstorms. The event occurs due to strong wind shear and vertical lift, often producing tornadoes and large hail.
13. Firenado (Fire Tornado) – Redding, California, USA
One of the most unusual weather phenomena of 2018 was the fire tornado during the Carr Fire. During this time, Firenado was recorded with wind speeds of 140 mph. They are among the most destructive and dangerous hybrid weather phenomena.
14. Kelvin-Helmholtz Clouds – Birmingham, UK
Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds, which resemble waves in the sky, were spotted above Birmingham. These clouds usually occur when two layers of air slide past one another at different speeds, forming shear-induced wave patterns.
15. Snow Rollers – Ohio, USA
The view of the cylindrical snow structures rolled naturally across the landscape, especially on the fields of Ohio. Snow rollers form when wind pushes sticky snow over crusty layers, causing it to roll like a carpet and look quite enigmatic.
16. Light Pillars – Moscow, Russia
The “light pillars” were once witnessed during a freezing night in Moscow, Russia. These vertical columns of light stretched skyward like beams. This happened when the streetlights reflected off flat, hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the air.
17. Brocken Spectre – Scottish Highlands, UK
One of the most unique weather events was the Brocken Spectre, which a hiker captured. In this, an enormous shadow is cast onto the clouds below, surrounded by a rainbow halo. It is often described as an eerie yet stunning optical effect.
18. Sundogs (Parhelia) – Stockholm, Sweden
Brilliant twin rainbows were once witnessed across the skies in Stockholm. This phenomenon happens when sunlight passes through ice crystals in cirrus clouds.
19. Haboob – Phoenix, Arizona, USA
A massive dust wall over 100 feet high engulfed Phoenix in minutes. The event was named Haboob, and the view of this intense dust storm was unlike anything else. It often indicates thunderstorm outflows right after.
20. Freezing Rain Encasing Trees – Ontario, Canada
After a rare winter storm, Ontario’s trees were encased in ice, glistening like crystal sculptures. Although not as uncommon, snow usually encases the trees, but witnessing the ice crystals was a whole new experience.
21. Volcanic Lightning – Taal Volcano, Philippines
During the destructive Taal Volcano eruption in 2020, lightning burst from the ash plume, creating one of the most iconic events. This happened when the ash particles collided, creating static electricity within the plume.
22. Shelf Cloud – Brisbane, Australia
Resembling the appearance of a rolling tsunami, a shelf cloud was witnessed in Brisbane, Australia. Shelf clouds form at the leading edge of thunderstorm outflows, where the advancing cold air lifts warm, moist air.
23. Waterspout – Florida Keys, USA
Another eventful weather phenomenon worth exploring is the Waterspout, wherein a spiralling column of water stretches from sea to sky off the Florida coast. Think of it as tornadoes that happen in the water.
24. Frost Flowers – Arctic Ocean
Frost Flowers are possibly one of the most beautiful weather events, where the delicate ice structures resemble blooming flowers in the Arctic Ocean. Frost flowers form when moist air meets the extremely cold surface of young sea ice.
25. Moonbow – Cumberland Falls, Kentucky, USA
The nighttime rainbow phenomenon, a moonbow, was captured at Cumberland Falls under a full moon, an event worth mentioning. It happens when moonlight reflects and refracts through water droplets in the air.
Final Words
These are the top 25 rare weather phenomena that truly remind us how diverse and unique nature is. Nature’s complexity often explains its ferocity and complexities. Each image in this article reflects nature’s wonders at their rawest form.
