FILE 001Weather⚡ash particles collideVolcanic lightning occurs when ash particles collide and generate static electricity during an eruption — creating lightning inside the ash cloud.SrcUSGSPass the claimOpen file
FILE 002Weather🌪️Shareanywhere else on EarthTornado Alley in the central US has more tornadoes than anywhere else on Earth — about 1,200 per year.SrcNOAA
FILE 003Weather🌊Shareover 100 feetRogue waves can appear seemingly out of nowhere and reach heights of over 100 feet — they were considered myths until confirmed by satellites in 1995.SrcESA
FILE 004Weather❄️Sharetemperatures and humidity levelsNo two snowflakes are alike because each one takes a unique path through the atmosphere, encountering different temperatures and humidity levels.SrcNOAA
FILE 005Weather❄️SharedesertAntarctica is technically a desert — it receives less than 6.5 inches of precipitation per year in its interior.SrcBritish Antarctic Survey
FILE 006Weather☁️Share2.25 poundsThe heaviest hailstone ever recorded weighed 2.25 pounds and fell in Bangladesh in 1986.SrcWMO
FILE 007Weather🌪️Shareturbulent windsFire tornadoes (firewhirls) occur when intense heat and turbulent winds combine to create spinning columns of fire up to 100 feet tall.SrcNOAA
FILE 008Weather☁️Sharecloud touching the groundFog is just a cloud touching the ground. When you walk through fog, you're literally walking through a cloud.SrcNOAA
FILE 009Weather🌪️Share300 mphA tornado can have wind speeds over 300 mph — strong enough to drive a piece of straw into a telephone pole.SrcNOAA
FILE 010Weather🌪️Share219 miles across Missouri, Illinois, and IndianaThe Tri-State Tornado of 1925 traveled 219 miles across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana — the longest tornado path on record.SrcNOAA
FILE 011Weather🌡️Sharehole over Antarctica is expected to fully heal by about 2066The ozone layer is recovering — the hole over Antarctica is expected to fully heal by about 2066 thanks to the 1987 Montreal Protocol.SrcNASA
FILE 012Weather🌡️SharePacific Ocean temperaturesEl Niño and La Niña are caused by changes in Pacific Ocean temperatures that can alter weather patterns across the entire planet.SrcNOAA
FILE 013Weather⚡Share5 times hotter than the surface of the SunA bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the Sun — reaching about 54,000°F.SrcNOAA
FILE 014Weather🌡️Share1.2°C (2.2°F)Global average temperature has risen about 1.2°C (2.2°F) since pre-industrial times. The Paris Agreement aims to keep it below 1.5°C.SrcIPCC
FILE 015Weather🌪️Share219 milesThe Tri-State Tornado of 1925 traveled 219 miles across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana — the longest tornado path ever recorded.SrcNOAA
FILE 016Weather🌊Share10-megaton nuclear bomb every 20 minutesA hurricane releases energy equivalent to a 10-megaton nuclear bomb every 20 minutes — mostly through water evaporation.SrcNOAA
FILE 017Weather🌧️Sharebacteria in soilPetrichor is the pleasant smell after rain — caused by bacteria in soil releasing a chemical called geosmin when activated by moisture.SrcNature
FILE 018Weather❄️Sharedust, pollen, or even bacteriaSnowflakes form around tiny particles of dust, pollen, or even bacteria that act as nuclei for ice crystals.SrcNOAA
FILE 019Weather🌊Shareover 20 feet highA storm surge from a hurricane can push walls of water over 20 feet high onto shore — the deadliest aspect of a hurricane.SrcNOAA
FILE 020Weather🌪️Share1,200 tornadoes per yearTornado Alley in the central US sees about 1,200 tornadoes per year — more than any other place on Earth.SrcNOAA
FILE 021Weather🌪️Sharetornado over waterA waterspout is a tornado over water. They can suck up fish and frogs, which then rain down on land miles away.SrcNOAA
FILE 022Weather❄️Share15 inches wideThe largest snowflake ever recorded was 15 inches wide — observed at Fort Keogh, Montana in 1887.SrcGuinness World Records
FILE 023Weather🌊Share1 billion joules of energyA single bolt of lightning contains about 1 billion joules of energy — enough to power a 100-watt light bulb for 3 months.SrcNOAA
FILE 024Weather🌧️Share467 inches of rain per yearThe wettest place on Earth is Mawsynram, India, which gets about 467 inches of rain per year — nearly 39 feet.SrcGuinness World Records
FILE 025Weather⚡Share100 million watts of electrical energyThe average thunderstorm produces about 100 million watts of electrical energy — enough to power a small town.SrcNOAA
FILE 026Weather❄️Sharelightning and thunder occur during a snowstormThundersnow is a rare phenomenon where lightning and thunder occur during a snowstorm. It happens only about 6 times per year in the US.SrcNOAA
FILE 027Weather🌡️Share-128.6°F (-89.2°C)The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was -128.6°F (-89.2°C) at Vostok Station, Antarctica in 1983.SrcWMO
FILE 028Weather☁️Sharecumulonimbus thunderstorm cloudA single cumulonimbus thunderstorm cloud can contain the energy equivalent of 10 Hiroshima-size atomic bombs.SrcAmerican Meteorological Society
FILE 029Weather🌪️Share300 mphA tornado can spin at over 300 mph — the fastest winds on Earth's surface.SrcNOAA