According to officials, a peculiar cloud formation was recently detected by weather radar in Ohio. However, it wasn’t caused by rain or hail but rather by an enormous swarm of bugs.
The National Weather Service in Cleveland tweeted about the phenomenon, exclaiming, “They’re baaaaack!” The tweet included images of a cloud-like mass moving across a vast area in northern Ohio, spanning three counties.
The culprits responsible for this spectacle are midges, a type of small, winged insect that belongs to the fly family. Their numbers have reached such levels that they are now visible on radar, invading the region.
BUG INVASION: Mackinaw City is being invaded by bugs, a lot of them. #midges #bugs #mackinawcity #buginvasion pic.twitter.com/l1GzMHZiJI
— Dave Bondy (@DaveBondyTV) May 19, 2023
Neighboring Michigan is also experiencing a similar situation, as mentioned in various tweets. While midges are incredibly abundant and form buzzing clouds that annoy residents across the upper Midwest and other parts of the northern hemisphere, they pose no harm, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
May marks the peak month for these insects, with the winged adult form of midge larvae emerging from lakes as the water temperature rises. With only a few days to live, the midges engage in a frantic race to reproduce before their inevitable demise.
Reports from Cleveland.com indicate that the midges coating people’s homes and garages in Ohio are a revolting annoyance for some. However, they also serve as a vital seasonal food source within the ecosystem and indicate the health of Lake Erie.
Mitchell Willetts, a University of Oklahoma graduate and outdoor enthusiast living in Texas, is a real-time news reporter who covers the central U.S. for McClatchy.
They're Baaaaack! 🦟🦟🦟 The CLE Weather radar is picking up on some of those midges west of #CLE near the lakeshore of Lorain and Huron Counties this evening. Check out the picture captured by @clbsch near Huron😮🤢Tis the season🦟!#OHwx #PAwx #NWS #Bugs #Mayflies https://t.co/FcDN4rqRQY pic.twitter.com/t2WQZR8rYt
— NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) May 21, 2023
