Fact Check: Viral video of Fish fell out of sky in Iran

Numerous videos are going viral on social media, capturing the extraordinary sight of fish raining from the sky in Yasuj, a city in western Iran. These clips depict fish falling onto the ground as well as one showing a man catching fish as he witnesses this rare event. Although fish rain isn't a new phenomenon, it's still fascinating to understand how it happens. 

ظاهرة غريبة.. السماء تمطر أسماكا في #إيران #سوشال_سكاي pic.twitter.com/coOjycll0Y

— سكاي نيوز عربية (@skynewsarabia) May 4, 2024

Essentially, fish rain occurs during powerful weather events such as storms or tornadoes. In simple terms, it involves live or dead fish falling from the sky while it's raining, and it has been observed in various parts of the world.

Sky raining fish, but How?

The occurrence of "fish rain" happens when fish transition from their aquatic habitats in the sea to land. This often takes place due to the formation of hurricanes or storms, particularly in regions with significant fluctuations in temperature and humidity.

Sometimes, fish fall from the sky, though it's pretty rare. They're not coming from clouds; they used to live in the sea. So, how do they end up in the sky? Well, scientists think tornadoes are to blame. When tornadoes move over water, they turn into waterspouts. These waterspouts suck up water along with fish and other creatures swimming in it. The tornado carries them high up into the clouds, and when the wind slows down, they fall back to the ground, sometimes miles away from where they started.

Scientists propose that this phenomenon occurs as a result of storms and severe weather conditions that can transport both water and fish from oceans and seas to land via powerful air currents. This leads to the fish descending onto the ground in areas far from their usual aquatic environments. While there's no definitive confirmation on the cause, it's likely influenced by weather factors like thunderstorms or strong air currents.

According to a meteorology book titled It's Raining Fish and Spiders by Bill Evans about the weather, creatures fall from the sky about forty times a year. It's not just fish; snakes, worms, and crabs have been reported too. Sometimes, these creatures get covered in ice or hail while they're up in the clouds. This can be dangerous if they fall and hit something, like a car windshield. So, if you see animals falling from the sky, it's best to stay indoors until it's safe.

Professor Ernest Agee from Purdue University in Indiana put it aptly when he said to the Library of Congress, “I’ve seen small ponds literally emptied of their water by a passing tornado. So, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for frogs (or other living things such as fish) to ‘rain’ from the skies.”

This is doing the rounds as a serious weather related event saying that fish fell out of the sky In Iran and that a tornado must have brought them ashore. I tracked the video back to a fish seller.

Genius marketing! 🤣🐟🐠 pic.twitter.com/MNWhu5zlYB

— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) May 4, 2024

Michael Hammer, curator of fishes at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, shared insights on such weather events. He mentioned, "Most of the time, people arrive after the rain and find fish scattered everywhere. And in that instance, they've mostly just burst through with the local flood, from a little waterhole or something."

He added, "But it certainly can't rule out fish being caught up in little storms and then dropped in other places." Regarding live fish falling from the sky, he noted, "It's not unusual, as long as they're not lifted too high and frozen mid-air. It just depends on the local weather patterns and what forces would be needed to lift them out of the waterhole specifically, and then up into the air, which would be pretty interesting."

Fish rain occurs yearly globally, past incident 

While the phrase "raining cats and dogs" is common, the chances of a fish, even a catfish, falling from the sky and hitting someone are extremely rare. However, it has happened. In 2016, a woman claimed a catfish fell from the sky and hit her. In 2017, a family found a catfish in their pool after it fell from the sky. And in 2019, a woman reported that a catfish fell onto her car, smashing the windshield.

In Yoro, Honduras, locals refer to this yearly occurrence as "Lluvia de Peces" or "Fish Rain." Many believe it's linked to the prayers of Manuel de Jesús Subirana, a Catholic missionary from Spain in the mid-1800s. Legend has it that after he prayed for relief from hunger and poverty in the Yoro region, the fish rain began.

In 2008, residents of Kandanassery village near Kerala, India, were surprised when small fish started raining down at the end of a sudden downpour.

In 2021, residents of Texarkana, a city in Texas, were also taken aback when fish began falling from the sky. Fish landed in yards and sidewalks, surprising the city. "2021 is pulling out all the tricks ... including raining fish in Texarkana today. And no, this isn't a joke," the city of Texarkana wrote in a Facebook post after the incident.

Can other animals rain down?

Yes, other animals can also rain down from the sky, although it's rare. This phenomenon, known as a "rain of animals," occurs when flightless creatures fall from the sky. Various animals have been reported to rain down, including snakes, worms, crabs, fish, frogs, squid, and even alligators.

In 2015, Australia experienced a peculiar event known as a spider spell, where millions of spiders dropped from the sky in the Southern Tablelands region. They covered the countryside with their webs, and residents described how the sheer number of baby spiders falling from the sky almost blocked out the sun.