DID YOU KNOW?:Edge of Rain

A massive, roiling mountain of a thundercloud is moving towards you; it is completely black and stands out against the brilliant blue sky above and behind you. You hear a deafening crack of thunder that sounds like a whip, and then rain begins to pour down from the sky.

The wind picks up, and you notice treetops bending low towards the ground miles away, getting closer by the second. You freeze in place, realizing you have no way out. But just as the rain is about to fall on you, it suddenly stops. There's a flood just a few feet ahead of you, but where you stand is dry and even sunny. After a short time, the enraged thundercloud spills its last drops and dissipates.

It's uncommon, but not impossible, to see the beginning of the rain.To prevent the wind from deflecting the raindrops from their vertical course, the rain must be extremely heavy. If the rain is light, you can only see its edges up close; up close, it resembles a shimmering gray haze that extends from the sky to the ground.

Even though the rain has stopped, the wind is still blowing and getting stronger. When you notice leaves flying in a circular pattern, you know a tornado is about to break out. You sprint as far as you can, climb a hill, and only then do you stop and turn back. Although there hasn't been a tornado yet, that hanging cloud appears dangerous.

A single tree nearby where you were standing has been struck by lightning, according to another flash and whip crack. It has started to burn, and... a flame column is ascending to the sky. The pillar keeps getting taller while there is still no rain. A fire tornado is something you've heard about but never seen.

Due to the difference in air pressure, these phenomena happen when the wind is caught in a circle close to the ground. Small pieces of rubble, dust, sand, and leaves rise into the air and begin to fly in quick circles during these mini-tornadoes, which are typically easy to spot.

You also hear some rumbling coming from below, as if that weren't enough. Absolutely not your stomach. It's gloomy and low. You notice some odd lights hanging above the ground when you look up. They appear to be shimmering lights floating above the sky. You gulp as your throat becomes dry. They refer to those as "earthquake lights."

Although this phenomenon is insufficiently comprehended, witnesses claim to have seen it in a variety of forms. It might appear as streamers, light balls, sheet lightning, or a constant glow in the sky. A powerful earthquake strikes shortly after that. The reason for those lights' appearance is unknown to scientists, and they don't always appear. Some people think that's a result of subsurface gases being released into the atmosphere.

After the storm has passed, you start to suspect something sinister is happening up there. They're called mammatus clouds, and they're completely safe, so don't be alarmed. They typically appear before or after a hurricane or other strong storm.

In contrast to how clouds typically form, these ones are the result of cooler air sinking down. It forms ice and water pockets that hang down in lobular shapes. However, they don't hang around for very long; at most, 15 minutes before disappearing.

You scoff as you take in the scene and leave for your house. That's a bit excessive for a single day.