Notes » August 2003

Spherical Rain

Another typhoon is swinging by Hong Kong.

When I looked out the window of our high-rise flat I saw the coolest thing: raindrops were held in place a few seconds at a time by updrafts, forming spheres as they hovered. They floated until winds abated enough for gravity to resume control, then more formed when the bluster picked up.

I tried to get photographs of the phenomenon but it was impossible. If I'd had a professional camera I would have pulled it off, but getting the focus right would have been tricky. That's another reason I need to get a professional digital SLR.

How often does one see spherical rain?

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