What strange superstitions can tell us about the weather
The fables and superstitions that can predict Mother Nature
By Gaby Leslie | Yahoo! News –
This week saw groundhog Punxsutawney Phil taking centre stage among weather watchers in North America as he crept out of his hibernation hole and saw his shadow.
The last time you saw a groundhog was probably in the 1993 film starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.
But the mythical correlation is seen as a clear sign that winter will last another six weeks.
However, it’s not just the groundhog that is traditionally associated with predicting Mother Nature.
Here is a round-up of some other well-known folkloric weather tales.
Animal behaviour
Animals are believed to be able to react to the weather through some innate understanding of their surroundings and weather systems.
During the Boxing Day tsunami, it was said that animals could be seen running for higher ground well before the giant waves struck and caused havoc around the Indian Ocean.
There are a number of animals that are known to react to weather changes within a few seconds to a few minutes.
See some of them below.
• When cats clean behind their ears it’s a sign of rain to come.
• Cow lying down means wet weather to come.
• Fat rabbits in October and November – expect a long and cold winter.
• Birds flying low to the ground than usual means a storm is coming.
Old sayings
Closer to home, there are a number sayings which have evolved around the theme.
“Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight”
“Red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning”
According to meteorology, dry particles in the air cause this slight redness in the sky. If this redness is in the west in the evening then dry weather is coming your way but if that same 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 caused by refractions by ice crystals at high altitudes is a good indicator of moisture or precipitation at lower levels- meaning wet conditions lie ahead.
“Rainbow in the morning; Take this as a warning”
The saying means stormy weather to come. A rainbow in the west apparently indicates moisture in the air as most storms move from west to east.
Aching knees or toes means rain
It’s not just animals that may be able to predict the weather.
Ever felt an ache before a rainstorm? Internet medical forums are filled with people complaining that their joints start trembling before it rains.
But are these claims fact or fiction? Paul Knight, a climatologist and an instructor of meteorology at Pennsylvania State University, said:
"There have been no credible studies done to show that there's any relationship at all.
“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.”
Here I am folks: Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil is held up before the crowds on Thursday
St Swithin’s Day
Looking at the weather too for indications of the day or weeks ahead is also woven into our folklore.
Like the groundhog, we have our own long-term predictor of the weather - St Swithin's Day. In the UK, weather-obsessed Brits observe the conditions on St Swithin’s Day which falls on 15 July to see if will be a good summer.
The general rule is that whatever the weather is like on St Swithin’s Day, it will last another 40 days –
'St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St. Swithin's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.'
The old saying suggests that if it rains on St Swithin’s Day, then it will be wet for the next 40 days.
The reverse is true on a fine St Swithin’s Day.
In the summer of 1976, a hot and sunny 15 July saw stunning weather before a storm broke out at midnight. In the 40 days proceeding, only two days of little rain fell during a heat wave.
Remember the summer of 2008 where Rihanna’s aptly smash hit ‘Umbrella’ lasted weeks in the chart? Well it rained and poured on St Swithin’s Day in most parts of the UK with it later turning out to be one of the most miserable wash-out summers ever.
More about Groundhog Day
'Groundhog Day', 1993 starring Billy Murray and Andie MacDowellCelebrated in the US and Canada, Candlemas Day 2012 will be the 126th year that Punxsutawney Phil will predict the weather.
Superstition has it, if it is sunny and Punxsutawney Phil does see his shadow, that means there will be six more weeks of winter. If it’s cloudy and the groundhog does not see his shadow, then spring will come early, according to folklore.
In total, Phil has cast a shadow 99 times indicating six more weeks of winter.
The weather-telling creature has not casted a shadow 16 times, indicating an early spring.
Unfortunately, The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club is missing nine years worth of records.
In 2011, Phil saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter.
So is Phil just as reliable as meteorologists?
It really depends on where you live as to whether he is right or wrong because last year, the southern states saw an early spring while the Midwest received record-breaking late winter snow.
According to StormFax Weather Almanac and records dating back to1887, Phil's predictions have been correct 39% of the time
