Weather Tales. What is today's forecast?

The Weather Forecast

Red Sky?

As we all know even professional weather forecasters do not always give us accurate predictions.Although many of us think we can predict the weather by the colour of the sky, or the time of the rain. So is their any truth in these old wives tales?

Red sky at night, shepherd's delight,Red sky in the morning,shepherd's warning.

The red sky at night suggests clear skies on the western horizon for hundreds of miles,and no frontal systems nearby containing rain.The morning red sky would tell us the eastern skies are clear,but very little about what is approaching from the west.However when this corresponds to the zone of fine weather between two depressions,then it suggests it is moving away eastwards with more bad weather not far away in the west. True.

Dew on the grass, rain shall pass

Rain would still be possible even with dew on the grass. Not true.

Cold is the night when the stars shine bright

If the stars are shining brightly and night visibility is good, the atmosphere is clear and cloud free, then the surface of the earth will cool rapidly, leaving the night air cold with frost possible. True.

Rain by seven, fine by eleven

weather fronts that carry rain bands can travel at various speeds,if they are travelling fast then this could be possible,but if they are slow moving then it could rain all day. Not true.

St Swithin's Day if it do rain,for 40 days it will remain. St Swithin's Day if it be fair, for 40 days will rain no more.

St Swithin's Day falls on the 15th of July, so accordingly whatever the weather on that day it will remain the same for the next 40 days.However weather records from the last 58 years. show that there has not 40 days of similar weather following St Swithin's Day.Not True.

Swallows high,staying dry.Swallows low wet it will blow

When the weather is fine, the insects that the bird's feed on are carried up on warm thermal currents rising from the ground.So the swallows will have to fly higher to feed of these insects.True.

Right or wrong

This favourite weather quote just about sums it up:

"The trouble with weather forecasting it's right to often to ignore it, and wrong to often for us to rely on it."