The recent rains in Andhra Pradesh brought along scores of fish! Residents of Amalapuram were surprised by seeing fish wiggling in puddles in front of their houses. A video going viral on social media shows fish lying on the ground in the rainwater. Fish rain is a rare meteorological phenomenon which has in the past occurred in various places in the country. Cyclone Phethai made landfall in coastal Andhra Pradesh on Monday causing damages to crops.

During the occurrence, strong cyclonic storms sometimes carry fish and frogs from water bodies and drop on the land. While it may seem like fish falling from the sky, it is the rare phenomenon that causes 'fish rain'. It happens especially due to whirlwinds and tornadoes. When these travel over distances, they lose their speed and begin dropping the creatures mostly on land. Fish rain is common in Western countries too. While people are generally baffled by the occurrence, scientists explain it's normal. Cyclone Phethai Kills Two People in Coastal Andhra Pradesh; 20,000 Sheltered in Relief Camps.

Watch the latest video below:

In 2016, the Mumbai Pune Expressway had allegedly experienced a similar fish rain. Pictures of people picking up fish off the roads had gone viral on social media. There were also reports of Khansoorajpur village in Jaipur waking up to witness fish rain in October 2016. A report in The Telegraph in June 2015 said that villagers from Gollamudi and Pallagiri in Andhra Pradesh had witnessed a 'fish rain'.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Deep Depression over Coastal Andhra Pradesh moved northwards on Tuesday at a speed of 11 kilometres per hour. The weather forecasting agency also said that the cyclone is likely to move north-northeastwards and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 18, 2018 04:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).