When it comes to observing weather phenomena, most of you will agree that the abnormalities in weather events can be fascinating. Let’s take you through an exciting journey of some of the most weird weather mysteries that have left the human brain perplexed.

1 – Marfa Ghost Lights

A cowboy, way back in 1883, is believed to be the first human to have sighted Marfa ghost lights. This happened while he was herding cattle across the Marfa plain in the state of Texas. From 1945 to 2008, there have been reports of around 34 instances when Marfa lights were sighted. These lights are often seen floating in the empty desert. Onlookers have attributed their origins to some supernatural forces including UFOs and ghosts. Some scientists, however, believe them to be atmospheric reflections of automobile lights and campfires. Others meanwhile are of the opinion that the lights are a kind of mirage caused by the sharp temperature gradients between cold and warm layers of air.

2 – Rapid Intensification/Rapid Deepening

Rapid intensification implies the increase in the wind speeds of a tropical cyclone by 35 mph within just 24 hours. This is coupled with a sharp decline in the storm’s minimum pressure (hence Rapid Deepening). The exact atmospheric conditions causing rapid intensification are yet unknown and its timing is still unpredictable. (Photograph: Inside the Eye/National Hurricane Center)

3 – Mammatus Cumulus Clouds

Associated generally with a thunderstorm, the mammatus clouds are odd-shaped clouds due to ice crystals inside weighing down and then lifting back up. The mammatus clouds can extend to several miles on each side and may appear around or even after harsh weather.

4 – Raining Fish

There have been reports of raining animals instead of an aqueous downpour throughout history. Strong hurricane winds can displace fish, frogs and alligators from water and bring them inland, making it appear as if it is raining animals. (Photograph: The Dailypedia)

5 – Ball Lightning

There have been very few documented cases of this weather phenomenon and since there have been very few claims of its sightings, no actual photographs are available. It appears as an electric orb of lightning that bounces its way through space. It is believed to move at a lot slower speed as compared to normal lightning. (Photograph: Huffington Post via Michael Oishie)

6 – Formation of Tornadoes

Despite the advancements in science and technology, there are plenty of questions regarding the formation of tornadoes. Here’s a harrowing statistic: the time interval between a tornado warning and the arrival of a storm is merely 13 minutes. Sometimes winds as strong as 300 mph do not end producing any tornadoes which is mind-numbing.

7 – Animal Meteorologists

During our precious days of childhood, we used to hear from our grandma that animals know when a certain weather event is about to happen; whether it’s going to rain or an the earth is going to rumble as a result of a quake. Scientists believe that animals possess built-in biological sensors that help them predict weather. Cows lie down on the ground during a rainstorm because of low temperature of the air, birds migrate to the south during winters and elephants can detect the imminent arrival of a thunderstorm by using the padding under their feet. (Photograph: Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images)

8 – Ice Bombs

Wouldn’t you be surprised when hit by a huge hailstorm on a cloudless day? Scientifically known as mega cryometeors, there have been reports of around 50 ice bombs since the turn of century. One in Brazil weighed about 50 Kg. The process that creates these ice bombs is still not completely understood. (Photograph: Cheryl Burton/abc13)

9 – Sprites, Jets and Elves

These weather events are termed as Transient Luminous Events and take place at about 60 miles above the earth’s surface and are regarded as upper-atmospheric lightning produced by electrically-induced forms of luminous plasma.

10 – Green Flash

Right after sunset or just before the sunrise, a green flash or ray appears to shimmer just above the sun’s disc momentarily. This is an optical phenomenon that takes place due to the atmosphere filtering the sunlight into several colors.