Mysterious 'blood rain' in Zamora
The analyzed meteorological data suggests that this microalgae could have flown across the ocean by westerly winds, possibly from as far away as North America, as it is rare in the Mediterranean. ‘Blood rain’ is rare, but has its precedents. Since the 1890s there have been sporadic reports of similar rainfall in the southern Indian state of Kerala and most recently in 2013 in the neighboring island of Sri Lanka.
Residents of the province of Zamora were surprised when a few days ago a shower of red drops stained the streets. Researchers explain that the red color is due to a freshwater microalgae.
The analyzed meteorological data suggests that this microalgae could have flown across the ocean by westerly winds, possibly from as far away as North America, as it is rare in the Mediterranean. ‘Blood rain’ is rare, but has its precedents. Since the 1890s there have been sporadic reports of similar rainfall in the southern Indian state of Kerala and most recently in 2013 in the neighboring island of Sri Lanka.
