Fish Rain Down on Australian Town

By Tim Binnall

A remote town in Australia recently experienced a truly Fortean phenomenon when a storm passed over the area and fish rained down from the sky. According to a local media report, the very weird weather event occurred on Tuesday in the community of Lajamanu. Although the storm had been forecast for the region, town official Andrew Johnson Japanangka observed, they were stunned by what was brought with it. "When the rain started falling," he marveled, "we've seen fish falling down as well."

Some of the unexpected creatures, described as being "the size of two fingers," managed to survive the experience, Japanangka said, and have now become unlikely souvenirs from the odd event as "children are picking them up and keeping them in a bottle or a jar." Remarkably, this is not the first time that Lajamanu has been the site of such a wondrous fish fall with similar events being reported in 2010, 2004, and 1974. Scientists say that the creatures likely originated from a nearby waterhole and were swept up by the storm before being deposited onto the town to the surprise of residents who were only expecting rain.