Weather or not
GOOD OMEN FOR SUNSHINE... MAYBE
★ AFTER a dry St Swithin’s Day yesterday we’re due 40 days of good weather, according to the old proverb.
★ But can an old wives’ tale really be relied on? NADINE LINGE looks at common folklore and whether it’s really backed up by scientific evidence...
Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight - TRUE
It’s one of the oldest weather proverbs, even appearing in the Bible, and it is one of the most accurate.
A red sky appears when dust is trapped in the atmosphere by high pressure. This scatters elements of blue light, leaving only red light and giving the sky a reddish appearance.
It can be too cold to snow - FALSE
The colder the air gets, the less water vapour it carries, reducing the likelihood of snow.
But there are many other factors when it comes to whether it will snow or not, and flakes can form even at incredibly low temperatures as long as there is some source of moisture and some way to lift or cool the air.
Cows lie down when it is about to rain - FALSE
There is no scientific backing for this. Cows lie down for a number of reasons, including just having a rest, and there’s no evidence to suggest it is related to rain.
Pine cones open up when good weather is coming - TRUE
In good weather pine cones dry out, which causes their scales to stand out more stiffly, giving an open appearance. In damp conditions they become more flexible and return to a more closed shape.
Rain before seven, fine by 11 - FALSE
This is based on our weather being so changeable that fronts pass quickly, bringing the promise of sunshine. But in some conditions, such as when there is a lack of wind, rain can hang around for much longer.
Three days’ rain will empty any sky - TRUE-ISH
In the UK’S varying climate, conditions are rarely the same day after day.
In general, it is true that while cloudy, miserable and grey weather may last for weeks, torrential rain rarely lasts more than three days.
It’s never good weather when you’re on land SOMETIMES TRUE
Seagulls prefer to sleep on water, but if the sea is too choppy, they move inland and huddle on the ground. So if the gulls are snoozing on the beach, it can be a sign the weather’s bad at sea.
St Swithin’s Day, if it does rain, full 40 days, it will remain. St Swithin’s Day, if it be fair for 40 days, t’will rain no more - FALSE
Swithin was the 9th Century Bishop of Winchester who asked to be buried in the churchyard of the town’s Old Minster so rain would fall on his grave.
But a century later he was made a saint and moved inside the cathedral on July 15. His spirit was so annoyed it rained for 40 days. But statistics do not back it up – since records began in 1861, there has never been a record of 40 dry or 40 wet days in a row after July 15.