Buzz
Weather is a subject that people frequently talk about, making it an essential topic for small talk. It’s a universal experience that affects everyone, often bringing both fascination and fear. Since we enjoy discussing the weather and sharing exaggerated stories or misconceptions through word-of-mouth, many weather myths have been created over time. We’ve already discussed why you shouldn’t stand in a doorway during an earthquake, but there’s still much more to explore.
10. Rainbows
Rainbows are the spectacular curved shapes that form in the sky when light bends and reflects off water droplets in the air. They consist of seven distinct colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. However, the way most people perceive rainbows isn't entirely correct from a scientific standpoint.
When you observe a rainbow, part of it is always hidden by the horizon. Unless you're flying high in a plane, looking down at the Earth with the sun behind you, you'll only be able to see half of the rainbow. In reality, a complete rainbow forms a full circle due to the angles at which light refracts through the water droplets. Additionally, it’s essential to understand that while the seven colors of the rainbow are visible to the naked eye, they are not the only colors that exist in the spectrum.
9. Heat Waves
Heat waves often don't get the same attention as other natural disasters. They occur frequently and many people see them as a minor inconvenience, particularly if they don't have air conditioning. Heat is just a part of life, and most people don't think it’s something they need to prepare for, right?
Unfortunately, that's wrong. Research has shown that heat waves are far more dangerous than we’ve ever realized. Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the impact of heat on crime rates. The findings suggest that higher temperatures tend to correlate with increased crime, particularly violent crime. What's even worse is that heat waves are responsible for more deaths than most of us imagine, causing more fatalities than all other natural disasters combined in the United States.
8. Hurricanes
Hurricanes are among the most terrifying natural disasters. The thought of a massive, violent storm of wind and water headed straight for you can certainly be unsettling. While many people believe that the majority of hurricane damage is caused by the high wind speeds, which can exceed 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph), the real danger often lies in the storm surge.
In fact, the majority of deaths during hurricanes occur due to drowning in the massive storm surges. Surprisingly, fatalities from the high winds—or even tornadoes spawned by the hurricane—don’t even come in second place when it comes to hurricane-related deaths. The second-highest cause of death is drowning from the floodwaters that follow the initial storm surge. It turns out that the biggest threat from hurricanes is the sudden appearance of an overwhelming amount of water in places where it’s least expected.
7. Heat Lightning
Many of us believe that heat lightning is a particular phenomenon that happens on hot summer nights. The air is warm and dry, and this causes lightning to flash without the accompanying sound of thunder in the distance. We can enjoy watching the light display without worrying about it coming any closer. However, it turns out that heat lightning isn’t actually a real phenomenon. It was a term coined by people who misunderstood what they were seeing—or rather, what they weren’t hearing.
Sometimes, storms are far off in the distance but still visible from where we are. When we see what’s often called “heat lightning,” what we’re actually witnessing is just regular lightning from a faraway thunderstorm. The reason we don’t hear the thunder is that sound from thunder can’t travel more than 16 kilometers (10 miles). When people saw this distant lightning with no sound, they understandably thought it was something entirely different. It’s also worth noting that you might not be as safe as you think—if you can see the lightning, the storm could potentially move closer, brought on by shifting winds.
6. Freezing Rain
Many people believe that freezing rain happens when rain falls from the sky in warmer air but freezes as it nears the ground. The result is often thought to be frozen raindrops, but this is actually a common misconception.
Strangely, freezing rain doesn’t actually freeze until it makes contact with something. Before it hits the ground, it remains in the form of regular raindrops. The air at all altitudes is warm enough that the drops don’t freeze. It’s the cold ground that causes the raindrops to freeze upon impact. Freezing rain can sometimes behave in an even stranger way—beginning as snow, transitioning to rain in warmer air, and then freezing again when it hits the cold ground.
5. Monsoons
You’re driving through a heavy downpour, the rain pelting your windshield so hard that it’s nearly impossible to see. After a long, tiring journey, you finally arrive home but are immediately drenched just walking to the door, looking like you’ve just swum across a pool. As you shut the door behind you, panting, you tell your cat, ‘It’s a monsoon out there,’ before heading off to dry off and swear to stay indoors for a while.
It turns out that you were mistaken about what a monsoon really is, and now you can’t escape the judgmental gaze of your cat. But don't worry, once we clear things up, Mr. Tuffles will go back to batting at that yarn ball you left on the floor. Referring to something as a monsoon isn’t just a dramatic way to describe a heavy rainstorm—it’s actually a very specific type of weather phenomenon.
When people talk about a monsoon, they’re referring to a seasonal weather pattern in Southeast Asia that involves shifting wind patterns, which often bring intense rainfall. The word 'monsoon' comes from a term meaning 'season' and simply describes the change in winds throughout the year. There’s even such a thing as a 'dry' monsoon. While the torrential rains from a wet monsoon can be dangerous, they also play a crucial role in supporting crop growth.
4. Tsunamis
Tsunamis are among the most terrifying natural disasters Mother Nature can unleash. The very idea of a gigantic wave approaching, intent on obliterating everything in its path and dragging you to a watery grave in the depths of the ocean, is enough to frighten anyone. While tsunamis are undeniably dangerous, people’s understanding of them is often inaccurate. The giant tsunami wave you see in movies and on TV is a popular fictional trope, but fortunately, it doesn't align with reality.
A tsunami is triggered by a displacement of water in the ocean, often due to an earthquake or volcanic eruption, and they are generally not very tall. In fact, tsunami waves are usually quite low and would be hard to spot from a distance if you're not familiar with what to look for. Despite their modest height, these waves carry a tremendous amount of momentum as they surge forward, making them capable of flooding areas and dragging people beneath the surface. This means that even if there’s no giant wave looming in the distance, it’s wise to take tsunami warnings seriously when you’re on a beach vacation.
3. Blizzard Babies
A common belief holds that during particularly severe blizzards, power outages, or any other event that forces people indoors, many will eventually turn to intimacy. This has led to the myth of 'blizzard babies.' The theory suggests that there’s a baby boom about nine months after a major weather event. In some variations, it’s not specifically a blizzard but another event like a big football game. However, the flaw in these ideas is that, upon closer examination, these baby booms are just regular fluctuations in birth rates. Supporters of the myth tend to cherry-pick data, highlighting coincidentally high numbers while ignoring the natural booms that occur throughout the year.
2. Tornadoes
Tornadoes are violent, swirling columns of destruction that send shivers down our spines—and rightfully so. When a massive cyclone rushes toward you with an ear-splitting roar, it may seem as though it has developed a mind of its own and is headed straight for you. Your only choice seems to be to flee. In the face of this monstrous storm, you might think your only escape is to cross a river, where the tornado cannot follow, or to take cover under an overpass. If you’re indoors, you’d better hope that the pressure inside doesn’t cause your house to explode, which means opening as many windows as you can.
That is, of course, if you’re aiming for disaster. The reality is that none of these precautions will save you from a tornado. Not only are tornadoes capable of crossing rivers, but they will likely do so if conditions are right and they desire to. In fact, the deadliest tornado on record, back in the early 1900s, traveled across two rivers during its devastating and brief path of destruction. Moreover, hiding beneath a freeway overpass puts you at greater risk, and opening your windows does nothing to protect you.
1. Discovery Of Electricity
Many people believe that Benjamin Franklin was the one who discovered electricity. According to the famous story, Franklin decided to test the odd notion that lightning might be attracted to a metal key attached to a kite during a thunderstorm. He supposedly conducted the experiment and received a massive electric shock, sparking the invention of modern electricity.
However, this tale is simply not true. Electricity had already been discovered, and Franklin was well aware of its existence. What he actually wanted to understand was the connection between electricity and lightning. He suspected they were related and observed the fibers on his kite string standing up, concluding that the key could be drawing in the lightning. Had he truly been struck by lightning, though, he likely would not have survived the strike.
