How does the saying go "Pink sky at night..."

[duke]

Sunset last evening.

 

[duke]

This morning.

 

[Accipiter]

I was told by my parents a long time ago:

"Red sky at night, shepherds delight
Red sky in the morning, shepherds warning"

Hasn't always been true... but that's a beautiful night sky photo along with the following one of the morning .

We're going to have another hot one today here where I am, around 30°C~31° C... maybe a tad higher. Having a week away in Cornwall from Saturday... bound to rain then

 

[Dr.Al]

I think that's a saying that actually has some basis in fact. The weather systems in the UK at least generally move west-to-east with the prevailing wind. A red sunset implies there's dry, dust-laden air and high pressure to the west, which means that the high-pressure system is heading towards us and hence the next day is likely to have good weather. Red sky in the morning implies the high pressure is in the east and hence is heading away (but that doesn't necessarily mean bad weather follows). Of course the Lake District quote also comes into mind: "How do you know when it's about to start raining in the Lake District? Look out the window and see that it isn't raining at the moment."

Of course it's not guaranteed but the red sky at night one is better than some similar phrases.

 

[duke]

I always refer to pink sky at night sailors delight, pink sky in the morning sailors take warning. I wonder what the original saying is?

 

[Dr.Al]

I always refer to pink sky at night sailors delight, pink sky in the morning sailors take warning. I wonder what the original saying is?

Possibly depends on whether your local area had more sailors or shepherds!

I'd only ever heard the red/shepherd variant before but I wouldn't be surprised if there is regional variation just across the UK, let alone internationally.

 

[Accipiter]

Well... here's Google


Do you want the *exact science* of how atmospheric dust and light sscattering create these red colours? Google knows

 

[Dr.Al]

Well if an A.I. says it has some basis in fact...

... I'm starting to doubt that it has

 

[Accipiter]

Well if an A.I. says it has some basis in fact...

... I'm starting to doubt that it has

Oh ye of little faith

 

[RogerS]

Or as the wags used to say

Red sky at night, barns alight.

 

[John Brown]

I seem to remember "learning" many years ago that the first part had some science behind it, as explained by Dr Al, but the second part had simply been added on to make it more catchy.

 

[John Brown]

Red sky at lunchtime, some other contrived rhyme.

Now it's perfect. Rule of three and all that...

 

[duke]

Wonder where I got the Pink from and not Red?

 

[duke]

Well... here's Google
View attachment 57176

Do you want the *exact science* of how atmospheric dust and light sscattering create these red colours? Google knows

Had a look at the scripture, so AI is telling the truth. Lol

 

[fuse]

Red sky at night shepherds delIght
Red Sky at lunchtme shepherds pie

 

[Dr.Al]

Red sky at Eleven, Armageddon

 

[AndyP]

Just back from a week on the north Breton coast. We were treated to this every night from the sitting room. With no wifi and barely a phone signal there was not much else to do than sit and take in the views.

 

[Woodbloke]

Of course the Lake District quote also comes into mind: "How do you know when it's about to start raining in the Lake District? Look out the window and see that it isn't raining at the moment."

No.1 daughter lives in Carlisle and that's about par. That said, when we've visited her we've generally had glorious weather - Rob

 

[Dr.Al]

No.1 daughter lives in Carlisle and that's about par. That said, when we've visited her we've generally had glorious weather

We used to go to the Lake District quite regularly before my other half got M.E. In all honesty we were generally very lucky too (although I still find the quote amusing): I think it rained for two days in total for all the times we went there. One of my colleagues kept saying he should book the same week we did as it always rained when he went there.

 

[Woodbloke]

We used to go to the Lake District quite regularly before my other half got M.E. In all honesty we were generally very lucky too (although I still find the quote amusing): I think it rained for two days in total for all the times we went there. One of my colleagues kept saying he should book the same week we did as it always rained when he went there.

Whenever she sends us a Christmas or birthday card the back of the envelope invariably says in one corner "from oop narth" and underneath is a small, hand penned emoji of a thunder cloud and torrential rain - Rob

 

[Inspector]

 

[duke]

We have had a fair bit of rain and thunderstorms last week.

 

[RogerM]

When skies are black and getting blacker, heed ye Tomaz Schafernaker.

 

[TrimTheKing]

Possibly depends on whether your local area had more sailors or shepherds!

I'd only ever heard the red/shepherd variant before but I wouldn't be surprised if there is regional variation just across the UK, let alone internationally.

Just to provide balance/another take to this, I've always known it as red sky at night, shepherds delight, red sky in morning, sailors warning!

 

[Gill]

Red sky at night, the farmer’s burning the stubble. Ah, how I yearn for those years when countryside fires were set deliberately and weren’t wild.

 

[Dr.Al]

Just to provide balance/another take to this, I've always known it as red sky at night, shepherds delight, red sky in morning, sailors warning!

Do you live here?

 

[TrimTheKing]

What is that? Bang in the middle of the Atlantic between UK/US?

 

[AndyP]

Back in the day when the Celts were upset at second home owners it was “red sky at night Englishman’s house alight”

 

[Dr.Al]

What is that? Bang in the middle of the Atlantic between UK/US?

There or thereabouts (I didn't spend any time getting it precise)