What about the Ref?
A lightning strike in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed all 11
members of one soccer team while leaving the opposing team in the match
untouched, leading to accusations of witchcraft by the survivors.
Power this up
The energy in an average one day hurricane could power the United States
for three years.
Groundhog Day
In the past 60 years, the groundhog has only predicted the weather
correctly 28% of the time. The rushing back and forth from burrows is
believed to indicate sexual activity, not shadow seeking.
Best pack an extra jumper
Butte Montana has more days each year where the temperature drops below
freezing (223 days) than any other city in the lower 48 states in the
USA.
...or perhaps two jumpers
How cold is it in outer space? If you could measure the temperature in a
deserted region of space, with nothing for light years around, it would
be about 2.7 degrees Kelvin (-454 degrees Fahrenheit). Zero degrees
Kelvin is 'absolute zero,' the point at which molecules have no kinetic
energy and therefore stand dead still. The 2.7 degrees figure arises
from the microwave background radiation - energy left over from the Big
Bang that floods the universe in all directions.
Forecasting tip
You can use pine cones to forecast the weather: The scales will close
when rain is on the way.
It is true, after all!
Weekends on the East Coast are wetter than weekdays, according to
climatologists at Arizona State University, who analyzed weather data
going back to 1946. They reported that Saturdays are 22% rainier than
Mondays. The likely culprit is air pollution caused by factories and
commuters’ cars. The pollution builds toward the weekend, increasing the
chances for rain, then clears after a two-day respite, signalling fairer
weather.
Blustery days
The fastest wind speed ever recorded is 318 mph in one of the May 3,
1999 tornadoes to hit Oklahoma.
Storm Warning
On average, the United States experiences 100,000 thunderstorms each
year, causing about 1,000 tornadoes. The National Weather Service says
an average of 42 people are killed by tornadoes annually.
Conspiracy Theory
Eighty-five percent of the people killed by lightning are male. |