Fish and Frogs Falling from the Sky

Question: I was watching a show on one of the Discovery channels a little while ago, and they were talking about people experiencing fish and frogs falling from the sky! Is that a possible occurrence? If so, how does it happen?

Answer: While fish and frogs falling from the sky is not a common occurrence, it has been reported many times around the world, with or without exaggerated embellishment.

Here is how it can happen:

The most likely means by which fish, frogs or any other object (books, a box of chickens, cows, letters have also been reported "falling" from the sky) are lifted aloft is through the passage of a tornado or waterspout. The strong updrafts can lift objects to great heights within a thunderstorm cloud and carried long distances.

When a tornado passes over the ground, it may sweep objects into its circulation and then throw them out again, kind of like a discus thrower. If the item is lightweight like a fish or a small frog, it may be caught in the strong storm/cloud updrafts for a long time, rising higher and higher until it is finally thrown out or drops out like a hailstone. (There is a report of an ice-covered turtle falling from a storm cloud!)

If the item is very heavy, it may not go very far ,and just tumble and jump along the ground, travelling some distance before coming to rest. Observers may think they saw it fall from the sky although it likely did not reach a high altitude.

High winds such as found in a hurricane may keep objects aloft for many miles, allowing them to fall far from their point of origin. Roofs, billboards, and other large, flat object can act as a sail or wing and be tossed high in the air. Even if an item is heavy, strong winds may roll and tumble it until it is hundreds of feet from its original location as has been reported for cars, trucks, and boats.

Learn More From These Books Chosen by The Weather Doctor

• Williams, Jack: The Weather Book, 1997, Vintage Books, ISBN 0-679-77665-6.
• Dunlop, Storm: The Weather Identification Handbook: The Ultimate Guide for Weather Watchers,, 2003, The Lyons Press, ISBN 1585748579. (pb).

The Weather Doctor's Weather Almanac Fish and Frogs Falling from the Sky
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