BAT CAVE, N.C. — Ranging from severe thunderstorms with lightning, high winds and flooding -- to devastating hurricanes and tornadoes, the weather can be scary.
For some people, the fear of the weather is real with documented phobias related to the weather. Here are 13 Weather Phobias that you may not know existed:
List of weather phobias
What is a phobia
First a phobia is defined as…
“A phobia is an extreme or irrational fear of something and a lot of people may have a weather phobia and not realize it,” tells Dr. Susan Albers from the Cleveland Clinic.
Antlophobia
Antlophobia is the fear of flooding is one of the most deadly weather events and rapidly moving water is terrifying. This phobia often develops from a past traumatic flood experience.
Ombrophobia
Ombrophobia is the fear of rain and flooding that can be brought on by heavy rain.
Lilapsophobia
Lilapsophobia is the fear of tornadoes and hurricanes.
Who wouldn’t be afraid of the most powerful weather phenomena on earth. But for some, the fear of these potential disastrous storms is crippling.
"For some of my patients, this fear originated from watching the Wizard of Oz and other events that left a scary impression with them at young ages," says Dr. Albers.
Astraphobia
Astraphobia is the fear of thunder and lightning.
Albers tells us this is the most common of all the weather phobias. This is most common for children but some have this fear last into adulthood. Sometimes knowledge and exposure therapy is the best remedy for this. Knowing how to stay safe and when you are safe from lightning can calm anxiety.
Pluviophobia
Pluviophobia is an even rarer pheobia. It is a fear of weather-related to rain. It's often specifically related to thunderstorms.
Ancraphobia
Ancraphobia is the fear of wind and high winds. This fear is rare however more than half of us have documented they have feared high winds at one point in their lives.
Some other less common but real fears:
- Thermophobia – Fear of heat
- Cryophobia – Fear of cold, ice or frost.
- Chinophobia – Fear of snow. (This doesn’t mean snowflakes but fear of the impacts that a winter’s snow can bring.)
Some obscure and extremely rare fears:
- Nephophobia – Fear of clouds.
- Homichlophobia – Fear of fog.
- Iridophobia – Fear of rainbows.
- Heliophoibia is fear of the sun.
We just listed 13 real weather fears but if this number creates fear and elevated anxiety, then you may have triskaidekaphobia.
If you have any of the above, Albers said talking to someone is the first step to try and overcome them - or at least make them more tolerable - when this weather does arise.
Contact Chris Mulcahy at cmulcahy@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
WCNC Charlotte’s Weather IQ YouTube channel gives detailed explainers from the WCNC Charlotte meteorologists to help you learn and understand weather, climate and science. Watch previous stories where you can raise your Weather IQ in the YouTube playlist below and subscribe to get updated when new videos are uploaded.