It seems utterly bizarre to think of anything other than the usual rain, hail and snow falling out of the sky, but there are many official reports from all over the world of showers of a different kind and acknowledged as weather phenomena. Showers of Frogs and Tadpoles are the most common sightings from around the world. For instance, on the afternoon of June 16th 1939, thousands of frogs fell over Trowbridge, England. Strange showers are more common than you’d think. Throughout history there have been persistent stories of showers of things falling out of the sky, from the time of manna to feed the Israelites in the Sinai Desert to the present day. In AD 77 in Greece there was a continuous shower of fish for three days and Pliny the Elder recorded – “…the roads were blocked, people were unable to open their front doors and the town stank for weeks …” Experts have tried to dismiss eyewitness accounts such as the fall of fish on Dunmarra, south of Darwin in February 1994 and a fish shower in Markville, USA on 23 October 1947 that was witnessed by a US Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries Officer. Some other things falling from the skies phenomena include:- Hazelnuts in Dublin in 1867 Snails in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1870 Snails in Algiers in 1973 Crayfish across Florida in 1954 Maggots in Mexico in 1968 Pond mussels in Paderborn, Germany in1892 Jellyfish in Bath, England in 1894 Coal in Bournemouth England in 1983….. In most cases these phenomena occurred when there were severe thunderstorms about. Thunderstorms with updrafts strong enough to suck up anything light enough underneath to be picked up and taken aloft and deposited elsewhere. But what about when we say ‘it’s been raining cats and dogs’? How do you think this saying originated? In my research I found many theories. I think the best answer maybe the one originated in the filthy streets of 17th/18th century England when heavy rain flowing down the gutters would occasionally carry along dead animals and other debris. Animals didn’t fall from the sky, but the sight of dead cats and dogs floating by in heavy storms could easily have coined this colourful phrase. Jonathan Swift described such an event in his satirical poem ‘A Description of a City Shower’ 1710. Another saying when we describe torrential rain is “It’s Coming Down in Stair Rods”‘. How did you think this saying originate? Any suggestions?
Heard this one before? Eleven little black spiders were playing in a saucer with a tiny ball. After a short time the coach, a much bigger spider, standing on the rim of the saucer blue his whistle. “Gather round – boys”, he said, “You’ll have to do a lot better than this next week – you are playing in the Cup”
