More on the weather

Other predictions

I thought it would be a good idea to have a look to see if I could add to Michael’s weather predictions. Some of these are tried and tested, others are open to interpretation.

• Seagull sit on the sand, it’s never fine weather when you’re on the land.
• Scarlet pimpernel flowers are sensitive to changes in the air, opening when it is dry but closing when it accumulates moisture, presently to be discharged as rain.
• If bubbles form in puddles and float for a little while, rain will persist. If no bubbles form or they burst immediately, rain will pass.
• When the cows are laying down in the field it will likely rain.
• Circle around the moon, rain or snow soon.
• Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning. Or:
• Red sky at night, sailors delight.
• Red sky at night, shepherds delight
• red sky in the morning shepherds warning
• When the leaves on a tree curl or show the underside it is going to rain
• "Mackerel scales lower the sails." (Mackerel scales is referring to the look of the clouds, it is going to get windy.)
• Check the grass for dew at sunrise. If the grass is dry, this indicates clouds or strong breezes, which can mean rain. If there's dew, it probably won't rain that day.
• Take a deep breath. Close your eyes and smell the air.
1. Plants release their waste in a low pressure atmosphere, generating a smell like compost and indicating an upcoming rain.
2. March ground will release gasses just before a storm because of the lower pressure, which leads to unpleasant smells.
3. A proverb says "Flowers smell best just before a rain." Scents are stronger in moist air, associated with rainy weather.
• If the cattle are heavy coated, it is going to be a hard winter.
• The day of the month of the first snowfall will determine how many times it will snow that year. This number includes flurries.
• Winter will be cold or mild based on how thick the husks are on the years corn crop.
• When leaves show their undersides, be very sure that rain betides.
• Teeth, knees, hands, joints hurt. Some people swear they can predict rain based on their aches and pains. This could be due to a fall in barometric pressure, which causes blood vessels to dilate slightly, enabling a storm to affect everything from bones and joints to muscles and sinuses.

I’m sure there are loads more ways people have found to predict the weather. I’m thankful were in a country that needs predictions. Wouldn’t it be a bit boring if we had sunshine all of the time?