RED SKY AT NIGHT ... HULL’S DELIGHT
SCORES SHARING SNAPSHOTS OF STUNNING SUNSET
SCORES of people have been sharing their snapshots of Wednesday night’s stunning sunset, but why were our skies so beautifully red?
The age old proverb tells of red sky at night, shepherd’s delight, and on Wednesday evening onlookers in Hull and the East Riding were given access to such an amazing sight.
Instagram feeds were filled with orange and red as social media users took to showing off how beautiful their area looked as the sun went down.
But why was it so bright?
According to Wales Online, the proverb red sky at night, shepherd’s delight, red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning first appeared in the Bible, and was used to forecast the weather before technology came along.
And despite being centuries old, it is sort of accurate.
Grahame Madge, of the Met Office, said the strong colour changes at sunset are down to the high pressure in the atmosphere trapping dust and small particles, along with medium and high clouds which lets the sunset shine through.
As the sun sets in the west, the red light then refracts through the thinning of the clouds, creating the red sky.
“There is some truth behind the saying,” said Mr Madge. “We can’t completely base the forecast on the red sky, but there is more truth behind that saying than others.
“The saying is most reliable when weather systems predominantly come from the west as they do in the UK.
“Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight can often be proven true, since red sky at night means fair weather is generally headed towards you.
“A red sky appears when dust and small particles are trapped in the atmosphere by high pressure. This scatters blue light leaving only red light to give the sky its notable appearance.
“A red sky at sunset means high pressure is moving in from the west so therefore the next day will usually be dry and pleasant. Red sky in the morning, shepherds warning, means a red sky appears due to the high-pressure weather system having already moved east meaning the good weather has passed, most likely making way for a wet and windy low-pressure system.”