The WW1 Artillery Shell That Created Its Own Weather System

When Germany unleashed “Big Bertha”—its colossal 420mm siege howitzer—during World War I, the world witnessed artillery unlike anything before. Firing shells weighing over 1,800 pounds, these monstrous guns didn’t just demolish forts; they altered the atmosphere itself. Eyewitnesses reported sudden drops in temperature, localized fog, and even miniature thunderstorms forming in the wake of detonations. Scientists later confirmed: the massive shockwaves from Big Bertha’s explosions compressed air so violently that they triggered micro-climatic disturbances—essentially creating a temporary, self-generated weather system with each blast.

Used to devastating effect against Belgian and French fortresses like Liège and Verdun, Big Bertha’s psychological impact was as terrifying as its physical destruction. Soldiers spoke of the sky “ripping open” before the ground vanished in fire and debris. The weapon became a symbol of industrialized warfare—and a grim preview of the planet-altering power of modern explosives.

Discover how a single artillery piece blurred the line between war machine and natural disaster… and why its legacy echoes in every bunker-buster and supergun since.

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