Everyone has several weather patterns that they trust. But is the habit of associating certain phenomena with the weather always scientifically based? Do birds really have a presentiment of what the day will be like, and lightning does not strike the same place twice?
The sky is red in the evening - the sailor has nothing to fear, the sky is red in the morning - the sailor is not up to it
For sailors and shepherds, the red sky at dawn or dusk is due to sunlight being scattered by moisture or dust particles as it travels through the thickest part of the atmosphere.
Believe it or not, there is some truth to this old sailor tradition.
Reddening of the night sky is caused by a large amount of dust particles trapped in the atmosphere at high pressure, which usually means good weather.
A red sky in the morning, at sunrise, can mean that the high pressure is being removed and the low pressure system will bring altocumulus or cirrus clouds with a thunderstorm.
If you live in a large city where there is a high chance of smog, keep in mind that any aerosol in the air can give it a reddish tint at sunrise or sunset. As the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States notes, for seafarers, the omen, as a rule, is true only at latitudes from 30 to 60 degrees.
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A seagull walks on the sand - promises a longing for a sailor, a seagull sat on the water - wait for good weather
Many birds are sensitive to meteorological conditions, including changes in air pressure. And the adage about seagulls may well be true.
Low pressure systems usually predict stormy weather, and this may be why seagulls and other species congregate on land or fly lower before the storm.
The amazing ability of birds to predict the weather has not been fully disclosed, but has been observed more than once. For example, in 2014, golden-winged chiffchaff songbirds were seen migrating from the US state of Tennessee to Florida earlier than usual, several days before violent storms that caused numerous tornadoes. According to National Geographic, the researchers' hypothesis is that songbirds were able to pick up the low-frequency infrasonic noises generated by storms while they were still far away.
You can hide from a thunderstorm under a tree
Some people believe they will be safe by hiding under a tree during a thunderstorm. But in fact, this is the worst thing you can think of. Lightning is five times hotter than the surface of the Sun, and even the smallest strike carries an enormous amount of energy. In addition to setting fire to trees, the high temperature from the discharge evaporates all the water in the trunk as the current flows. This causes the water to expand, sometimes tearing off parts of the crust or causing a small explosion.
If you know that a tree has already experienced a thunderstorm, do not be fooled by the old adage “lightning does not strike twice in the same place”. Lightning stretches to higher places and can strike the same place as many times as you like. For example, the Empire State Building in New York is targeted by lightning on average 23 times a year.
Do not take a bath or answer the phone during a thunderstorm
In your home, you are mostly protected from lightning - with a few exceptions.
First, the story of not taking a bath or shower during a thunderstorm is actually plausible. Mythbusters tried it out with a dummy, and the simulated lightning actually went through the metal pipes into the shower.
The team reported that the device was unable to measure the current in the dummy, but the electric arc triggered a fire. There are also several known cases of people being injured using plumbing during a thunderstorm.
In addition, using a cordless phone in bad weather can also lead to disaster. According to them, in the United States every year because of this, at least two people die.
For cell phones that do not have a power cord, the risk is minimal. Although a 2006 study provided evidence that people were struck by lightning due to cell phone use. Other scientists have questioned this claim, according to Livescience.
It can't snow in severe frost
Most people think that snow needs moisture and that colder days are drier, which means rain is less likely.
However, the facts do not support this theory. Even when it seems that it is too cold outside and there is not enough moisture in the air, it can still snow.
For example, Antarctica is the coldest and driest continent on Earth, but it receives an average of about 200 mm of precipitation annually in the coastal regions and 50 mm in the dry depth of the continent. Thus, the probability of precipitation with a decrease in temperature is indeed lower, but it does exist.