‘Sharknado’ Map Shows Actual Weather Pattern, Stuns Twitter

Twitter users couldn’t get enough of a “Sharknado” weather map on Wednesday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration posted a weather pattern that looked unmistakably like a shark. Damaging winds, possible hail and even tornadoes were predicted for Wednesday, and while the actual weather might not be a joke, the shape the storm created on the U.S. map soon became the pun of many messages on the 140-character social media site.

This also brings a certain Tara Reid movie to mind: “Sharknado.” The film, which was released last summer, was considered awesomely bad. The film merited a 3.3 rating on the Internet Movie Database and is about a “freak hurricane” that contains sharks. People loved/hated the movie so much that a second film featuring Reid and “Sharknado” costar Ian Ziering will be released this summer. So now, maybe, people might be able to see the strange fascination some twitterati have with Wednesday’s storm system.

According to the Washington Post, who also posted about the "Sharknado," the threat of an actual tornado was low. Instead, the news site predicted “bowing segments” that could turn into small spin-ups. Golf-ball sized hail, severe winds and localized flash-flooding were also possibilities.

Even though the predicted storm was originally thought to be relatively series, it didn’t stop people from making “Sharknado” comparisons. Most of the things said centered around the storm heading to D.C., that “Sharknado” was “literally” the forecast and that “Sharknado” could be real.

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