In Brief

Cloudy with a Chance of Seafood? Fish Fall from Sky in Mexico

The weather forecast for the coastal city of Tampico, Mexico, on Sept. 28 may have called for light rain; instead, it got light rain with a side of fish.

Yes, fish fell from the sky in the northeastern Mexican city, in the southeastern part of the Tamaulipas state, during a light rain, The Associated Press reported last week. Tamaulipas state officials posted photos of four small fish that dropped to the ground during the rain shower. [Fishy Rain to Fire Whirlwinds: The World's Weirdest Weather]

But can the skies actually rain fish? Turns out, they can. Scientists believe that fish — or other small aquatic animals — can get sucked up from oceans or lakes by waterspouts during a storm. (Waterspouts are tornadoes that touch on water.) Then, strong winds carry the critters inland before dropping them down on unsuspecting people.

Fishy rains have been documented around the world, from California to India to England. 

Originally published on Live Science.

Sara G. Miller
Staff Writer
Sara is a staff writer for Live Science, covering health. She grew up outside of Philadelphia and studied biology at Hamilton College in upstate New York. When she's not writing, she can be found at the library, checking out a big stack of books.