Within Kenya Strange
Can Fish and Frogs Really Rain Down?
Nakuru's reported animal rain shows how a bizarre newspaper oddity can remain fascinating even with a plausible weather explanation.
On this page
- What was reported in Nakuru
- How winds and waterspouts could explain it
- Why animal rain stories keep returning
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Introduction
Reports that fish and frogs fell from the sky over Nakuru are among Kenya’s best-known modern weather oddities. At first glance the story sounds like pure folklore, yet it sits in an unusual category of Fortean reports where a genuinely bizarre claim also has a well-established scientific explanation. Contemporary Kenyan news reports described residents finding small fish and frogs after rainfall, while meteorologists argued that powerful winds had almost certainly lifted the animals from nearby water before dropping them elsewhere. Rather than proving anything supernatural, the Nakuru story illustrates how rare weather events can create experiences that seem impossible until atmospheric science catches up with eyewitness surprise.[Nation Africa]nation.africaexperts warn of more fish and frogs rain 740078Experts warn of more 'fish and frogs' rain3 Jul 2020 — Days after fish and frogs “rained” from the sky in Nakuru, weather experts have wa…
What was reported in Nakuru?
The Nakuru reports described fish and frogs appearing after rain, leading many witnesses to conclude that the animals had literally fallen from the clouds. Such accounts immediately attracted public attention because they echoed centuries-old stories from around the world about “animal rain”—one of the classic subjects collected by writers interested in unusual natural phenomena.
The reports gained further publicity when the Kenya Meteorological Department commented publicly on the incident rather than dismissing it outright. Its director, Joseph Mukabana, explained that the event was unusual but scientifically plausible. According to his explanation, strong winds can lift small aquatic animals from lakes or ponds and transport them through storm systems before depositing them elsewhere with heavy rain.[Nation Africa]nation.africaexperts warn of more fish and frogs rain 740078Experts warn of more 'fish and frogs' rain3 Jul 2020 — Days after fish and frogs “rained” from the sky in Nakuru, weather experts have wa…
Nakuru provides a setting where such stories naturally attract attention. The city lies within the Great Rift Valley close to lakes, wetlands and seasonal water bodies. Although spectacular animal falls remain extremely rare, the surrounding landscape contains the ingredients needed for the proposed meteorological mechanism.
How winds and waterspouts could explain it
The leading scientific explanation does not suggest that fish or frogs somehow form inside clouds. Instead, it relies on powerful rotating columns of air and intense storm updraughts.
The process is thought to work roughly like this:
- A waterspout or exceptionally strong updraught develops over a lake, pond or marsh.
- Small fish, tadpoles or frogs are lifted together with spray and debris.[earthsky.org]earthsky.orgraining fish and frogsThey may pick up fish or frogs or other small creatures, carry them some distance and then drop…Read more…
- The storm transports the animals, sometimes over several kilometres.
- As the storm weakens or rainfall intensifies, the animals fall back to the ground.
This mechanism explains several features commonly reported in animal-rain stories. The animals are usually small rather than large, often belong to a single species, and are frequently found within a limited area instead of being scattered across an entire region. Those patterns fit the idea that they originated from one particular body of water rather than from the clouds themselves.[loc.gov]loc.govThe Library of CongressCan it rain frogs, fish, and other objects?Although waterspouts are the most commonly offered explanation for anim…
Scientists also note that direct observation of the entire sequence—from animals being lifted to their eventual fall—is exceptionally difficult. Storms capable of producing such effects are dangerous and short-lived, so evidence usually comes from the aftermath rather than continuous observation. Nevertheless, meteorologists regard waterspouts and violent updraughts as the most plausible explanation for most credible animal-rain reports.[The Library of Congress]loc.govcan it rain frogs fish and other objectsThe Library of CongressCan it rain frogs, fish, and other objects?Many scientists believe tornadic waterspouts may be responsible for fro…
Why the story still feels mysterious
Even with a convincing scientific explanation, stories like Nakuru’s continue to fascinate because they combine three ingredients that rarely occur together.
First, they involve ordinary witnesses describing something that appears impossible. Finding live fish in a street after rain genuinely challenges everyday expectations.
Second, the event is so uncommon that most people never encounter it personally. That rarity allows extraordinary interpretations to flourish before expert explanations reach the public.
Third, the phenomenon leaves physical evidence. Unlike many ghost stories or mysterious lights, animal-rain reports involve real fish or frogs that people can pick up, photograph and examine. The mystery lies not in whether the animals existed, but in how they arrived.
Why animal-rain stories keep returning
Nakuru is only one example in a much wider family of reports stretching back centuries. Similar claims involving fish, frogs and other small aquatic animals have been recorded in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. Some are almost certainly exaggerated or based on rumour, but enough well-documented cases exist for meteorologists to treat the phenomenon as an unusual natural event rather than an impossibility.[loc.gov]loc.govThe Library of CongressCan it rain frogs, fish, and other objects?Although waterspouts are the most commonly offered explanation for anim…
Within Kenya’s catalogue of strange history, the Nakuru reports occupy an interesting middle ground. They lack the legendary qualities of mystery animals or haunted landscapes, yet they retain the shock value that makes Fortean stories memorable. They remind readers that nature is capable of producing scenes so unexpected that they easily become local folklore.
A good example of Forteana meeting science
The Nakuru fish-and-frog rain is best understood as a case where wonder and explanation coexist. Witnesses almost certainly experienced something genuinely startling, and the reports were unusual enough to deserve attention. At the same time, the strongest available evidence points towards an uncommon meteorological process rather than a paranormal event.
That combination explains the story’s lasting appeal. It preserves the sense of astonishment that makes Fortean reports memorable while demonstrating that some of the strangest stories in Kenya’s weird-history record become even more interesting once their natural mechanisms are understood.
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Endnotes
1.
Source: nation.africa
Title: experts warn of more fish and frogs rain 740078
Link:https://nation.africa/kenya/news/experts-warn-of-more-fish-and-frogs-rain–740078
Source snippet
Experts warn of more 'fish and frogs' rain3 Jul 2020 — Days after fish and frogs “rained” from the sky in Nakuru, weather experts have wa...
2.
Source: earthsky.org
Title: raining fish and frogs
Link:https://earthsky.org/earth/raining-fish-and-frogs/
Source snippet
They may pick up fish or frogs or other small creatures, carry them some distance and then drop...Read more...
3.
Source: time.com
Title: animals have actually rained from the sky
Link:https://time.com/28894/animals-have-actually-rained-from-the-sky/
Source snippet
18 Mar 2014 — Modern Farmer magazine reports that animals have actually rained from the sky, including fish, frogs, and snakes. Sharknado...
4.
Source: loc.gov
Link:https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/meteorology-climatology/item/can-it-rain-frogs-fish-and-other-objects/
Source snippet
The Library of CongressCan it rain frogs, fish, and other objects?Although waterspouts are the most commonly offered explanation for anim...
5.
Source: loc.gov
Title: can it rain frogs fish and other objects
Link:https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/browse-all-questions/item/can-it-rain-frogs-fish-and-other-objects/
Source snippet
The Library of CongressCan it rain frogs, fish, and other objects?Many scientists believe tornadic waterspouts may be responsible for fro...
6.
Source: dictionary.cambridge.org
Link:https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/animal
Source snippet
English meaning - Cambridge Dictionarya living thing that can move and eat and react to the world through its senses, esp. of sight and...
Additional References
7.
Source: skeptoid.com
Link:https://skeptoid.com/episodes/170
8.
Source: nerdfighteria.info
Link:https://nerdfighteria.info/v/sHz6Wlc2MAI
9.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/texarkanatexas/posts/2021-is-pulling-out-all-the-tricks-including-raining-fish-in-texarkana-today-and/287678246727984/
Source snippet
2021 is pulling out all the tricks… including raining fish in...Animal rain is a phenomenon that occurs when small water animals like fr...
10.
Source: gizmodo.com
Title: when it rains animals the science of true weather weir 5895116
Link:https://gizmodo.com/when-it-rains-animals-the-science-of-true-weather-weir-5895116
Source snippet
When It Rains Animals: The Science of True Weather...Mar 21, 2012 — The currently favored explanation for animal precipitation involves...
11.
Source: instagram.com
Title: Scientists believe strong winds or water spouts lift animals
Link:https://www.instagram.com/p/DWoR3vZk7ZK/
Source snippet
What if the next storm didn't just bring rain… but frogs, fish...In this video, we uncover the bizarre scientific phenomenon of "Anima...
12.
Source: instagram.com
Title: 🌧️ What if the rain didn’t just bring water… but animals?
Link:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUsmGLKgYV1/
Source snippet
Australia, strong waterspouts have lifted fish and frogs from lakes and carried them through the sky before dropping them miles...
13.
Source: scienceabc.com
Title: can really rain animals frog fish tornado weather
Link:https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/can-really-rain-animals-frog-fish-tornado-weather
Source snippet
Raining Fish And Frogs: Can It Really Rain Animals?4 Nov 2016 — Many scientists believe tornadic waterspouts may be responsible...
14.
Source: medium.com
Link:https://medium.com/the-b/raining-animals-and-other-strange-weather-events-you-dont-see-every-day-a4d999413fd5
Source snippet
s, such as small fish or frogs, get sucked up into waterspouts...Read more...
15.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/Newsxonline/posts/residents-in-blue-ridge-were-left-astonished-after-a-bizarre-phenomenon-fish-rai/1296434959180740/
Source snippet
gs, crabs, and small fish are swept up in waterspouts or drafts that...
16.
Source: wtamu.edu
Title: West Texas A&M University Can it rain fish?
Link:https://www.wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2013/04/30/can-it-rain-fish/
Source snippet
Science Questions with Surprising Answers30 Apr 2013 — Yes. Although rare, there are numerous instances of fish falling down from the s...
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