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Weather Lore - and more

As we are variously suffering random weather events at the moment, I thought it might be interesting to look at country sayings month by month regarding the weather.  In addition, there are other supposed "indicators" of good or bad weather. 

Hope it will be of interest - especially if we have regional variations!

So: to start it off, for May:

"A wet May brings a good load of hay" ie plenty of sunshine in June.  (Good - that means we should have something resembling a summer, then image)

And:

"A cold May and a windy,
Makes a fat barn and a findy*"

*findy = good weight

Let's hope we don't have too much hot weather (doesnt seem likely, does it?) because:  "A hot May makes a fat churchyard"

Must be lots of other folklore out there .   .   .  

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  • Here goes.

    "If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb."

    With March being such a changeable month in which we can see warm springlike temperatures or late snowstorms, you can understand how this saying may hold true in some instances.

    We can only hope that if March starts off cold and stormy, it will end warm & sunny...I suppose the key word is hope. image

  • LoreaLorea Posts: 81

    Two in Spanish (with translation, don't panic!):

    "En abril, aguas mil". In April, water by the thousand. (bit dodgy in translation, but you get the idea).

    "Hasta el 40 de mayo, no te quites el sayo". Until the 40th May, don't take off your  tunic. 

  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619
    Referring to trees coming into leaf: if the ash before the oak Then we're in for a soak If the oak before the ash Then we're in for a splash.
  • pr1mr0sepr1mr0se Posts: 1,193

    David - here March came in like a lamb - and went out like one, too!  No idea what that means in weather lore (unless it's "and will be followed by lots of rain, wind, hail and thunder yet there still be a drought" image)

    Lorea:  thank goodness you translated:  suppose it's a bit like "Ne'er cast a clout till May be out" - though this can mean either the month or the flower.

    And figrat - I can't see the ash or the oak through the veils of rain.  Wonder what that means?  There is another rhyme which seems to contradict yours:  "If the ash before the oak, We shall have a summer of dust and smoke".   Hmmm. 

    Fascinating stuff. 

  • "The south wind brings wet weather...the north wind, wet & cold weather; the west wind always brings us rain...the east wind blows it back again".

  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619
    Locally, though I'm sure there are many regional similarities: If you can see Dartmoor, it's going to rain. If you can't see Dartmoor, it's raining.
  • LoreaLorea Posts: 81

    There's a general Spanish saying which I love:

    "Al mal tiempo, buena cara".   To the bad weather, good face.

    This is the 'grin and bear it' school of stoicism in the face of things we can't control. My good face, however, is starting to wear a little thin...image

  • Very good, Brenda!

    I remember one from my school days.

    "First if friz

    then it snew

    then there came a wind that blew

    Then there came a shower of rain

    then it friz & snew again."

  • BrendaScott53 wrote (see)

    LOL!  Excellent.  Just about sums it up, doesn't it?

    As we say up here in Aberdeenshire: 'If you don't like our weather, wait half an hour'.

    Whoops...sorry for the typo, please read 'First it friz'...just missed the edit deadline. image 

  • This is one I've found to be fairly accurate over the years:

    'Rain before 7, fine before 11'.

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