Fig. 734.—Weather chart.
We have already remarked upon the colours of the sunset, which are attributable to the vapours in the atmosphere, and we say a red sky foretells fine weather; a yellow sky changing into green means rain, or rain and wind; on the other hand, when the red rays appear we may anticipate fine weather, as the atmosphere is becoming less and less moist.
A “low” dawn is known as a good sign; so when the first rays appear at, or near the horizon, we may anticipate a fine day, as we may when the morning is grey.
“Evening red and morning grey”
are almost unfailing tokens of fine weather.
Very often a yellow sunset means wind; a wild, crimson sky means a gale. On the afternoon (Saturday) before the Eurydice foundered off the Isle of Wight, we particularly noted the sunset at Gravesend; and it was evident (in our estimation) that a sudden storm was imminent, and we remarked it to our companions. The sudden fall of the barometer, and the appearance of the rising clouds early on that sad Sunday afternoon, approaching in dark masses from the west and north-west, spoke of rain and (possibly) snow. How true the forecast was the event proved.
When clouds are soft and thin we expect fine weather; when they are dark and hard, rain and wind. A ragged-edged and heavy cloud indicates thunder and lightning, with squalls when we see dark clouds flying rapidly across the mass of cumuli. A “mackerel” sky and “mares’ tails” generally foretell wind, the direction and the upper currents being noted. The longer the warning given by the heavens, the longer the bad (or fine) weather will last; and the converse is also true.
“Evening grey and morning red,
Put on your hat, you’ll wet your head.”