If It Begins To Rain From The South
If it begin to Rain from the South, with a high Wind for two or
three Hours, and the Wind falls, but the Rain continues, it is like
to rain twelve Hours or more, and does usually rain till a strong North
Wind clears the Air. These long Rains seldom hold above twelve
Hours, or happen above once a Year.
THIS depends entirely upon Observation, and Experience shews us that
whenever the Wind falls, Rain follow
that when the Wind changes often there fall heavy Rains. All these
Alterations in the Atmosphere, are less observed by Men than by
Animals, for two Reasons. The first is, that we live much within Doors,
by which they are less obvious to us, and it is for this Reason that
the Husbandman, Seamen, Fishermen, but above all Shepherds, who are
more in the open Air than other Men, are better acquainted with, and
more able to distinguish and judge of the Signs of the Alteration of
the Weather, than those who live altogether within Doors, or go out but
seldom. Another Reason is our having so many Things to mind, which
takes off our Thoughts, and renders us less attentive to the Signals
which would give up Notice of such Alterations. It is for this Reason
that we ought to serve ourselves of that Sort of Instinct which Nature
has given to other Animals, and which as it is a Gift of Nature, is in
a Manner infallible.
THUS if small Birds prune themselves and duck and make a shew of
washing. If Crows make a great Noise in the Evening, if Geese gaggle
more than usual, these are all Signs of Rain, because these Animals
love wet Weather, and rejoice at the approach of it. On the other Hand,
if Oxen lie on their Right Sides, look towards the South, and lick
their Hoofs, if Cows look up in the Air, and snuff it, if Asses bray
violently, and if Cocks crow at unusual Hours, but especially when a
Hen and Chickens crowd into the House, these are sure Signs of Rain.
INSECTS also are very sensible of such Changes of Weather. Frogs croak
more than ordinary, Worms creep out of the Ground, Moles throw up more
Earth than usual, because such Weather is more agreeable to them;
Hornets, Wasps, and Gnats, sting more frequently against wet Weather
than in fair. Spiders are restless and uneasy, and frequently drop from
the Wall, the humid Air getting into their Webs and making them heavy.
But the surest and most certain Sign is taken from Bees, which are more
incommoded by Rain than almost any other Creatures, and therefore, as
soon as the Air begins to grow heavy, and the Vapours to condense, they
will not fly from their Hives, but either remain in them all Day, or
else fly but to a small Distance.
More
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When The Wind Turns To North East
When the Wind turns to North East, and it continues two Days without Rain, and does not turn South the third Day, nor Rain the third Day, it is likely to continue North East for eight or nine Days, all fair; and then to come to the South again. I... Clouds In Summer Or Harvent
In Summer or Harvest, when the Wind has been South two or three Days, and it grows very hot, and you see Clouds rise with great white Tops like Towers, as if one were upon the Top of another, and joined together with ... Clouds Large Like Rocks Great Showers
IN the old Almanacks we have this Sign of the Weather thus expressed. When Clouds appear like Rocks and Towers, The Earth's refresh'd by frequent Showers. THE Reason of this seems to be, that the watery Vapours are then condensed, or co... Clouds: Small And Round Like A Dappley-grey With A North-wind Fair Weather For 2 Or 3 Days
THIS is differently expressed by other Authors. My Lord Bacon tells us, that if Clouds appear white, and drive to the N. W. it is a Sign of several Days fair Weather. OUR old English Almanacks have a Maxim to this Purpose. If woolly Fleeces... Fair Weather For A Week
Fair Weather for a Week, with a Southern Wind, is like to produce a great Drought, if there has been much Rain out of the South before. The Wind usually turns from North to South, with a quiet Wind without Rain, but returns to the North, with a stro... If Cloudy And It Soon Decrease Certain Fair Weather
I Conceive the Reason of this to be, that the Vapours being then specifically lighter than the Air, are still rising upwards, in which they are assisted by the Heat of the Sun Beams, agreeable to the Notion of Dr. Derham, who observes, that after mu... If In The New Moon Rain In The Old
WHEN Exhalations rise copiously from the Earth into the Region of the Air, and the Air itself is in a proper Disposition, they ascend to a great Height, and continue a long Time before they are condensed, which accounts very clearly and philosophica... If In The Old Rain In The New
BUT as it is observed not only in this Climate, but all the World over, that great Changes of Weather happen near the Change of the Moon, it follows that this is the Season when these Exhalations that ascend so plentifully at Sun-rising are condense... If It Begins To Rain An Hour Or Two Before Sun Rising
If it begins to rain an Hour or two before Sun-rising, it is like to be fair before Noon, and so continue that Day, but if the Rain begin an Hour or two after Sun-rising, it is like to Rain all that Day, except the Rainbow be seen before it rains. ... If It Begins To Rain From The South
If it begin to Rain from the South, with a high Wind for two or three Hours, and the Wind falls, but the Rain continues, it is like to rain twelve Hours or more, and does usually rain till a strong North Wind clears the Air. These long Rains seldom ... If It Return To The South Within A Day Or Two Without Rain
If it return to the South within a Day or two without Rain, and turn Northward with Rain, and return to the South, in one or two Days, as before, two or three Times together after this Sort, then it is like to be in the South, or South West, two or ... If It Turn Out Again Out Of The South
If it turn out again out of the South to the North East with Rain, and continues in the North East two Days without Rain, and neither turns South nor rains the third Day, it is like to continue North East for two or three months. The Wind will fi... If Large Clouds Decrease Fair Weather
THE same kind of Reasoning accounts very clearly for this Prognostick, since it shews, that the Vapours are either exhaled by the Sun's Heat, or are driven off by Winds, and so resolved into smaller Clouds, capable of ascending higher in the Atmosph... If October And November Are Full Of Snow And Frost
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THE Reason of this Appearance is, because the Sun shines through a large Mass of Vapours, which occasions that red Colour that has been always esteemed a Sign of Rain, especially if the Face of the Sun appear bigger than it ought, for then in a few ... If Two Such Clouds Arise One On Either Hand It Is Time To Make Haste To Shelter
AS this Observation is of the same Nature with the former, we shall continue our Remarks. The Reason why it seldom thunders in Winter is, because the exterior Parts of the Earth are so contracted by the cold Snow and Ice, that Sulphur cannot perspir... If You See A Cloud Rise Against The Wind Or Side Wind
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THIS is a general and a very extensive Observation, which enables us to judge of the Weather for about a Fortnight, and there is very great Reason to believe that it will very rarely deceive us. In order to convince the Reader of this, it will be ne... Mists If They Rise In Low Ground And Soon Vanish } Fair Weather
THIS is a sure Sign and very well expressed, that is, clearly, and, in few Words, which is the Excellency of such Aphorisms. In order to be convinced of its good Sense and Certainty, we must consider a little what Mists are, whence they rise, and wh... S W Winds
After a northerly Wind for the most Part two months or more, and then coming South, there are usually three or four fair Days at first, and then, on the fourth or fifth Day, comes Rain, or else the Wind tu... Spring And Summer
If the last eighteen Days of February and ten Days of March be for the most part rainy, then the Spring and Summer Quarters are like to be so too: and I never knew a great ... Sudden Rains Never Last Long:
But when the Air grows thick by Degrees, and the Sun, Moon, and Stars shine dimmer and dimmer, then it is like to rain six Hours usually. RAIN is, properly speaking, a Multitude of small watery Drops, falling from the upper Air at different Seas... Winds Observe That In Eight Years' As Many Wet Years As Dry
THIS must be allowed a very extraordinary Aphorism from a Country Shepherd, but at the same Time it is very agreeable to the Observations of Dr. Hooke, Dr. Derham, Dr. Grew, and other able Naturalists, who with unwearied Pains and Diligence have cal... Winter Time
If the latter End of October and Beginning of November be for the most Part warm and rainy, then January and February are like to be frosty and cold, except after a very dry Summer. IT is very evident, supposing this Obs...