Two in three people believe that cows lie down when it's about to rain.
Three quarters have used folklore such as 'red sky at night, shepherd's delight' to predict the weather - and half say they have been caught out when relying on traditional sayings.
The Met Office ran a survey on the use of weather-related folklore, and discovered that they are used more often than expected.
But are they true?
Forecasters teamed up with Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills to produce this video:
The most commonly-used sayings are:
Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight – used by 70% of UK adults
It can be too cold to snow – used by 49%
Cows lie down when it is about to rain – used by 44%
Pine cones open up when good weather is coming – used by 26%
If it rains on St Swithin’s day, it will rain on each of the next 40 days – used by 22%
Here's what the Met Office had to say on seperating fact from fiction:
- Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight
83% believe this to be true – and according to the Met Office, they are largely CORRECT
This is because high pressure tends to lead to good weather. High pressure traps dust and dirt in the air, which scatters blue light, only leaving the red light remaining – hence the reddish appearance of the sky.
- It can be too cold to snow:
62% believe this fact – but it’s NOT CORRECT in the UK
The colder the air gets (for example -20 degrees) the less water vapour there is in the air, reducing the likelihood of snow. However, there are many other deciding factors when it comes to whether it will snow or not, and it is unlikely that in the UK we would experience temperatures cold enough to make it less likely to snow
- Cows lie down when it is about to rain:
61% believe this to be an accurate way of forecasting rain – and according to the Met Office, this is FALSE
There is no scientific backing for this at all. Cows lie down for a number of reasons – including just having a rest – and there is no evidence to suggest it is related to the likelihood of rain
- Pine cones open up when good weather is coming
55% of UK adults believe this is true – and they are CORRECT
In dry weather, pine cones dry out, which causes their scales to stand out more stiffly, giving an ‘open’ appearance. In damp conditions, they become more flexible and return to a more closed shape
- Rain before seven, fine by eleven
32% believe that if it is raining at 7am, the weather will be fine by 11am - and they are OFTEN CORRECT
Weather systems in the UK are often spawned in the Atlantic, and these systems can sweep across the UK very quickly. So, on many occasions, four hours will allow enough time for the rain to pass. But, in some conditions, such as when there is a lack of wind, rain can hang around for much longer.
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