Modern man uses touch screen technology to predict weather. We use high tech gadgets and even send up Doppler radars into the clouds to forecast the quality of rain.
How was weather forecast in ancient times? They had to rely on signs of nature to understand the changes in weather. In modern science they are called bio-indicators of weather. You too can predict the weather by observing these bio indicators. They are interesting and all it takes is a watchful eye and maybe a notepad.
Birds and animals have a natural intelligence about changing weather. Animals start howling or scratching or huddling and birds fly low.
One morning if you see ants carrying eggs from one nest to another you can bet it will be cloudy and rainy in the evening. When birds fly low, it means a storm is coming. A dancing peacock is a sign of rain. When cats clean behind their ears, it is a sign of rain to come. When cows lie down, you may think they are tired but no, it is an indication of wet weather.
If you have a beehive in your neighbourhood, observe the bees. If the bees stay near the hives it means wet weather is due, and if they are nowhere in sight, they may have gone far to fetch nectar then sunny weather is assured. Dragon flies will fly in swarms a few hours before it rains.
In other lands
In the Philippines , they have observed that dogs excrete on elevated land before it rains. When the fruits of the Bangkal tree ripen, rainy season will follow.
Americanspredict the length of winter based on a ground hog’s behaviour. If they find fat rabbits in October and November it is a sign of a long and cold winter to come.
In England , they say if there is a full moon on Christmas, the harvest will be poor.
Sayings:
“Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight”
“Red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning”
According to meteorologists, dry particles in the air cause a redness in the sky. If this redness is in the west in the evening then dry weather is coming your way but if the red sky is in the east in the morning, then this can be a sign of wet weather to come.
“Ring around the moon, it’s meant to rain soon”
A halo around the moon is caused by the refraction of light through ice crystals at high altitudes and is a good indicator of moisture or precipitation at lower levels — meaning wet conditions lie ahead.
In my bones
Even humans have some degree of sensing weather. Old people generally complain of aching joints before it rains. Some can even feel a tremble in their joints.
Doctors say that while a person’s joints may be sensitive to a drop in barometric pressure or increased humidity, a direct cause-and-effect relationship has never been proven.
