Themes > Science > Earth Sciences > Hydrology, Meteorology, Climatology > Meteorology / Climatology > Weather Forecasting > Folk Lore Weather Forecasting

We all remember the old saying "Red sky in the morning, sailors warning" or
do you know it as "shepherds warning"?
Before satellite weather pictures,
before accurate measuring instruments
before
the barometer,
the thermometer,
the anemometer,
the rain gauge,
the hydrometer and		 A rainbow is one of the folklore weather forecasting signs.
before the position of Weather Forecaster had been thought of, most people worked in the open and observed the weather every day.

These people observed patterns in the weather, and as they discussed these patterns with friends and neighbours adages developed.

The adages found below have endured generations quite simply because they have proved to be true over and over again.

Jules Verne (1828-1905) in his book "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" writes "By degrees the fog disappeared under the action of the sun's rays, the radiant orb rose from behind the eastern horizon. The sea flamed under its glance like a train of gunpowder. The clouds scattered in the heights were colored with lively tints of beautiful shades, and numerous "mare's tails," which betokened wind for that day."

A Shakespeare poem "Venus and Adonis", 1593, is described as "a long narrative poem that tells of Adonis' rejection of the goddess of love". In it an observation of the red sky is related to the coming weather.
Once more the ruby-coloured portal open,
Which to his speech did honey passage yield;
Like a red morn, that ever yet betokened
Wrack to the seaman, tempest to the field,
Sorrow to shepherds, woe unto the birds,
Gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds.

The Bible in Matthew chapter 16 verses 2-3 records red sky in both the morning and evening and relates it to the expected weather. Thus this weather pattern was known to folks over 2000 years ago.
He answered and said unto them.
When it is evening ye say, it will be fair weather for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today for the sky is red and lowering. 0 ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?   The contributor.

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) wrote 150 philosophical treatises including one on Meteorology. Based on first-hand observations his thoughts on earth sciences encompassed rain, cloud, mist, dew, snow, hail, wind, thunder, lightning, hurricanes, haloes and rainbows.

The above items prove that weather observations are world wide. It was thought that they had originated in England and migrated to the rest of the world. We now see that they were valid in the eastern Mediterranean over 2,000 years ago.

To assist in remembering each pattern the rhymes developed, which then made it easier to pass the information on to the next generation. They appear to have been developed by different groups of people :-
Button - The sailor fisherman forecaster the sailor / fisherman Button - The farmer shepherd forecaster the farmer / shepherd Button - forecasting by the general community the general community


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