Sometimes, a weather radar can see more than just rain. We have seen everything from wildfire smoke to mayflies (which appear to look a lot like rain - but aren't) show up on radar. Something called Sea clutter can occur in the same way. This refers to radar echoes that are caused by waves or rough water surfaces and show up on radar resembling rain. It’s a type of non-meteorological noise that appears on radar, especially in coastal or oceanic areas.

When a radar beam scans the atmosphere at low angles, near the surface of the ocean, it can reflect off wave crests or choppy seas. These reflections bounce back to the radar and show up as speckled or patchy areas, often near the shore or around ships. This can make it difficult to distinguish real weather events, from just a nasty day at sea.

Meteorologists can use special filters to reduce sea clutter, but it can still pose challenges, especially during high winds or when monitoring storms over the ocean.

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Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.