Weather wisdom

Predicting British weather by means of traditional sayings is surely just as successful as an electronic app, since conditions can change from hour to hour. Perhaps the most well-known weather rhyme is: “Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight. Red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning”, and there is another version using ‘sailor’ instead of ‘shepherd’, demonstrating the practicality of this piece of weather wisdom.

Observation of the sky, animals and plants has given rise to these examples:-

• Ne’er cast a clout (clothing) till May be out.
• Clear moon, frost soon.
• Fogs in February, frosts in May.
• A wet May brings a load of hay.
• If Candlemas Day (2nd February) be cold and clear, there’ll be two winters in the year.
• If the ash [buds] before the oak, then there’ll be a regular soak. If the oak before the ash, then there’ll only be a splash.
• If at dimpsey (twilight) the frogs do croakin’, we’em be soon due a soakin’.

Rain is due if: cows are lying down, “it’s black over Bill’s mother’s”, geese are cackling.

A storm is due if: cats are going crazy, dogs are eating grass, geese are flying low.

It can also be “too cold to snow”.

(Image: pickpik.com / CC0)