Video shows 'raining spiders' in Brazil thanks to freak phenomenon

Posted by Martina Birk on Thursday, July 11, 2024
Spiders began falling from above in southern Brazil. Picture: Getty

By Alice Westoby

An extremely rare phenomenon in Brazil has made the heavens rain spiders it what can only be described as an arachnophobic's worst nightmare.

A scared student in Brazil has filmed what appears to be spiders raining from the sky in Minas Gerais state, southern Brazil.

A terrifying sight such as this might make you think of the apocalypse, but as always, science has an explanation for the rare phenomenon which is caused by hot and humid weather.

Read more: Spiders are most likely to enter your home at this time

Although the spiders appear to be falling from the sky, they are instead suspended from a massive web they have spun.

The clip isn't for the fake hearted but if you think you're brave enough then you can see it on the Mirror website here.

Speaking to the Mirror, a biologist explained: "It is a tactic to increase the area for catching food, usually insects. Silk threads act as parachutes, so the rain of spiders is also called 'ballooning'".

Fourteen-year-old João Pedro Martinelli Fonseca filmed the footage while travelling inside a car to his grandparents farm.

Thankfully, he was under cover but he noticed the phenomenon when one spider did make its way into the vehicle.

João's grandmother told a local newspaper that this isn't the first time the bizarre incident has happened.

She said: “There were many more webs and spiders than you can see in the video."

"We’ve seen this before, always at dusk on days when it’s been really hot.”

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qbHAq6tnm59jwqx7y6Kdnqukrrmme9KpoJ2doqh6s63Ip6Cnn12Xv6LGyKVm