You may question the need for old-fashioned weather forecasting in an age where artificial intelligence and smartphones solve almost every problem. However, this ancient knowledge is sometimes life-saving. Also, being able to interpret the weather without the use of instruments is a pretty cool move in this day and age.

It is most often possible to interpret the weather just by observing it. There are, of course, some tips and tricks for forecasting the weather with the naked eye. Here are some tips and tricks that you can always use:

1. There is an easy way to tell if the weather is going to be bad. If the wind on the ground is not in the same direction as the wind above, there is a possibility of a storm. Simply wet your finger and hold it up in the air to find the direction of the wind on the ground, then look at the direction of the clouds and determine the direction of the wind above. If the two are in the same direction, all is well, if not, things are going to get complicated.

2. Another way to tell the weather is to observe the clouds with your back to the wind. If the clouds are coming from our left, it means the weather will be bad, but if they are coming from our right, it means the weather will be better. (It is the exact opposite in the Southern Hemisphere).

3. In principle, the closer the clouds are to the ground, the greater the chance of rain. Therefore, high clouds of the cirrus type (silky, scattered) are a sign of good weather, while low clouds of the nimbus type (thick, dark) are a sign of precipitation.

4. If the sea looks dark green, it means that the weather will be rough, and if it looks bright like a mirror, it means a storm.

5. If the wind blows from land to sea, it means the weather conditions are better near the coast. But the weather conditions become more severe where the wind blows parallel to the coast, especially at the headlands. You should seek shelter from the storm in the bays of an island. However, you should keep in mind that the wind tends to invade these bends and it will not be easy to approach them. Especially in small islands!

6. Radiation fog in ports in the morning usually does not exceed 10 meters in height. Therefore, you can climb the mast of the boat to see further ahead and at least spot the ships offshore. The alternative is to wait for the sun to come out and the fog to dissipate on its own.

7. If the sky is red as the sun sets, it usually means good weather.

  • Honey colored sky means beautiful weather,
  • Sweet red means good weather,
  • Light yellow sky means dampness and rain,
  • Pink and pistachio mean heavy storm and rain, and
  • If the sun sets red, it means wind.

8. On the contrary, if the sky is red at sunrise, it could be a sign of bad weather.

  • If the sun looks smoky, it means storm,
  • The sun being red at sunrise and dull as it rises means heavy rain, and
  • Red sky means rain or wind.

9. The moon looking red when it rises means a light wind, looking too bright means a storm, looking too red or dull means rain, looking red when it is a crescent moon means heavy rain.

10. If the sky is white at night, it means that the weather will be good, while fog and dew mean good weather.
 

A final note: Meteorological events are complex phenomena with many unknowns. We must keep in mind that for many other reasons, these tips and tricks could give unexpected results.

Photographs: Unsplash – Chris Harwood, Quino Al, Mitodru Ghosh, Rachel

The books 50 Ways to Improve Your Weather Forecasting by Dag Pike and Instant Weather Forecasting by Alan Watts were consulted for this article.