Bogong moths flood Sydney weather radar with false rain signals
Millions of bogong moths heading south to the Alps show up on radar as rain.
For the past month, weather radars across south-eastern Australia have been lighting up with what looks like widespread rain every night at sunset. But it is not raining.
The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed the false signals are actually millions of bogong moths migrating south to the Australian Alps. The radar sends out radio waves that bounce off airborne objects, including insects.
Each night just after sunset, the moths take flight after resting during the day, and the massive swarm shows up as rain on the screen. The pattern started in NSW but has recently spread to northern and eastern Victoria.
Some weather apps that use raw radar data can send false rain alerts, though official forecasts are not affected.
- Past month
- Duration of signals
- Australian Alps
- Migration destination
- NSW, Victoria
- Affected states
- Just after sunset
- Trigger time
Why it mattersPeople relying on weather apps get false rain warnings that make travel and outdoor plans confusing.
AustraliaAustralians in NSW and Victoria checking weather apps may see phantom rain alerts for the next few weeks during the moth migration.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
