Is it myth or is it true? Do cows lie down when it’s about to rain and if it is a red sky at night, will it be a shepherd’s delight?
The survey results show that 75% of UK adults say that they use folklore to predict the weather.
However, half were caught out by the weather when they relied on folklore methods.
The most commonly-used were revealed to be:
Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight – used by 70% of UK adults.It can be too cold to snow – used by 49%.Cows lie down when it is about to rain – used by 44%.Pine cones open up when good weather is coming – used by 26%.If it rains on St Swithin’s Day, it will rain on each of the next 40 days – used by 22%.The public’s fascination with the weather is well-known, and few have not heard of weather folklore such as ‘red sky at night, shepherd’s delight’, or that it can be ‘too cold to snow’.
In total, it found that 58% of UK adults think that these methods are accurate to some degree, and, almost two thirds (64%) think they can be more reliable than official forecasts.
However, nearly half (48%) of UK adults who have used traditional methods to predict the weather say they have been ‘caught out’.
Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight
83% believe this to be true – and according to the Met Office, they are largely correct.This is because high pressure tends to lead to good weather. High pressure traps dust and dirt in the air, which scatters blue light, only leaving the red light remaining – hence the reddish appearance of the sky.It can be too cold to snow
62% believe this fact – but it’s not correct in the UK.The colder the air gets (for example -20°C) the less water vapour there is in the air, reducing the likelihood of snow. However, there are many other deciding factors when it comes to whether it will snow or not, and it is unlikely that the UK would experience temperatures cold enough to make it less likely to snow.Cows lie down when it is about to rain
61% believe this to be an accurate way of forecasting rain – and according to the Met Office, this is false.There is no scientific backing for this at all. Cows lie down for a number of reasons – including just having a rest – and there is no evidence to suggest it is related to the likelihood of rain.Pine cones open up when good weather is coming
55% of UK adults believe this is true – and they are correct.In dry 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 shapeRain before seven, fine by eleven
Is it myth or is it true? Do cows lie down when it’s about to rain and if it is a red sky at night, will it be a shepherd’s delight?
The survey results show that 75% of UK adults say that they use folklore to predict the weather.
However, half were caught out by the weather when they relied on folklore methods.
The most commonly-used were revealed to be:
Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight – used by 70% of UK adults.It can be too cold to snow – used by 49%.Cows lie down when it is about to rain – used by 44%.Pine cones open up when good weather is coming – used by 26%.If it rains on St Swithin’s Day, it will rain on each of the next 40 days – used by 22%.The public’s fascination with the weather is well-known, and few have not heard of weather folklore such as ‘red sky at night, shepherd’s delight’, or that it can be ‘too cold to snow’.
In total, it found that 58% of UK adults think that these methods are accurate to some degree, and, almost two thirds (64%) think they can be more reliable than official forecasts.
However, nearly half (48%) of UK adults who have used traditional methods to predict the weather say they have been ‘caught out’.
Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight
83% believe this to be true – and according to the Met Office, they are largely correct.This is because high pressure tends to lead to good weather. High pressure traps dust and dirt in the air, which scatters blue light, only leaving the red light remaining – hence the reddish appearance of the sky.It can be too cold to snow
62% believe this fact – but it’s not correct in the UK.The colder the air gets (for example -20°C) the less water vapour there is in the air, reducing the likelihood of snow. However, there are many other deciding factors when it comes to whether it will snow or not, and it is unlikely that the UK would experience temperatures cold enough to make it less likely to snow.Cows lie down when it is about to rain
61% believe this to be an accurate way of forecasting rain – and according to the Met Office, this is false.There is no scientific backing for this at all. Cows lie down for a number of reasons – including just having a rest – and there is no evidence to suggest it is related to the likelihood of rain.Pine cones open up when good weather is coming
55% of UK adults believe this is true – and they are correct.In dry 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 shapeRain before seven, fine by eleven
32% believe that if it is raining at 7am, the weather will be fine by 11am - and they are often correct.Weather systems in the UK are often spawned in the Atlantic, and these systems can sweep across the UK very quickly. So, on many occasions, four hours will allow enough time for the rain to pass. But, in some conditions, such as when there is a lack of wind, rain can hang around for much longer. 
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