Weather Video
This week, we want to share with you some curious phenomena that have been captured on video around the world. Get ready for a fascinating experience!
Officially, the places with the least precipitation on the planet are Arica, in Chile, A Al’Kufrah, in Libya, and Aswan and Luxor, in Egypt, with only 0.8 liters per year. However, there is an even drier and more surprising area: the McMurdo Dry Valleys, in Antarctica. In these valleys, it has not rained for hundreds or even thousands of years. This area is surrounded by high mountains that prevent the entry of moisture and increase the power of katabatic winds, which can reach speeds of up to 300 km/h with humidity of 1% to 5%. In addition, this area is the only area of Antarctica free of snow or ice all year round, and there is even an extremely salty lake that does not freeze despite temperatures of -55°C. It’s really impressive!
In addition, other curiosities can also be found in this area such as Taylor Valley, which can be seen from the air with ice around the mountains, but no sign of moisture inside. There is also a reddish-tinged glacier that looks like a blood cataract, but is actually caused by iron oxides and microbes that can live in conditions similar to those on Mars. These scientific discoveries are truly fascinating and make us think about the diversity and resilience of life in different environments.
The Prodigies of Conrad Lycosthenes
Conrad Lycosthenes, a Swiss philosopher of the 16th century, compiled more than 1,500 portentous events in his book ‘Els Prodigis’. This chronological encyclopedia includes unexplained and surprising phenomena in history. Among these prodigies are graphic depictions and detailed narratives of beings with unusual features, such as men with two heads or six arms, pigs with human faces, and chickens with five legs. Also included are weather phenomena such as rains of toads and even rains of blood. This book is a true anthology of wonders and reminds us of the fascinating diversity of the world in which we live.
The Time of the Picó and the Ashes
We cannot end this article without mentioning the team of meteorologists Alfred Rodríguez Picó and Xavi Freixes, who offer us a fascinating weather forecast every week at premium.cat. Don’t miss his detailed and entertaining explanations!
