The weather is notoriously unpredictable. A well-dressed weatherman smiles brightly through your television on Monday morning, promising you a sunny day, only to be caught in a hailstorm and late for work in a dented car.
The weather can also be extremely dangerous. Tornadoes, hurricanes and blizzards, to name just a few, wreak havoc around the world every year, leaving death and destruction in their wake.
Below is a list of some of the most terrifying weather events on Earth that have been captured on camera or painted for posterity and served as a constant warning to seek shelter early.
Saying that the Lone Star State is hot is like saying the sky is blue, but during one night in 1960, residents of Central Texas experienced the heat like never before. A burst of hot air hit the area near Kopperl just after midnight on June 15, causing crops to be burned up in an instant and automobile radiators to reach boiling point.
The heat burst appeared as the last of a thunderstorm collapsed over Kopperl. The lack of precipitation caused superheated air to descend at a speed of 121 kilometers per hour. At its peak the temperature came very close to reaching 140 degrees Fahrenheit. (60 degrees Celsius)
Terrified people wrapped their children in soaking wet towels and sheets, out of fear that the event signalled the start of Armageddon.
This meteorological phenomenon was soon dubbed “Satan’s Storm” and quickly earned a place in Texas folklore.
