Red sky at morning

This article is about the saying. For other uses, see Red sky at morning (disambiguation).
Red sun at morning, during sunrise
Red sun at night, with dust and clouds moving away to the west
For more details on this topic, see Weather lore § Red sun at night.

The common phrase "Red sun at morning" is a line from an ancient rhyme often repeated by mariners:[1]

Red sun at night, sailors' delight.
Red sun at morning, sailors take warning;[2][3][4]

The rhyme is a rule of thumb used for weather forecasting during the past two millennia. It is based on the reddish glow of the morning or evening sun, caused by haze or clouds related to storms in the region.[2][3][5] If the morning sun is red, it is because clear skies over the horizon to the east permit the sun to light the undersides of moisture-bearing clouds. The saying assumes that more such clouds are coming in from the west. Conversely, in order to see red clouds in the evening, sunlight must have a clear path from the west, so therefore the prevailing westerly wind must be bringing clear skies.

There are occasions where a storm system might rain itself out before reaching the observer (who had seen the morning red sky). For ships at sea however, the wind and rough seas from an approaching storm system could still be a problem, even without rainfall.

Because of different prevailing wind patterns around the globe, the traditional rhyme is generally not correct at lower latitudes of both hemispheres, where prevailing winds are from east to west. The rhyme is generally correct at mid-latitudes where, due to the rotation of the Earth, prevailing winds travel west to east.

History

In Matthew 16:2b–3, Jesus says:

When it is evening, you say, "It will be fair weather; for the sky is red."
And in the morning, "It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening."

An adage appears in a poem by William Shakespeare. He said something similar in his Venus and Adonis (1593):[5][6]

“Like a red morn that ever yet betokened,
Wreck to the seaman, tempest to the field,
Sorrow to the shepherds, woe unto the birds,
Gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds.”

The perils are foreshadowed using the archaic word "betokened"; some versions use the archaic term "Wrack" (for the word "Wreck").

Other versions

Red sky at morning, at sea

There are other variations of the wording, including the following version using the plural word "sailors":

Red sky at night, sailors' delight.[1]
Red sky at morning, sailors' warning;

Another version uses the word "shepherds":

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

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Kentucky Weather, by Jerry D. Hill, 2005, p.139, web: Books-Google-ikC
  2. 1 2 "GuideLines - Buoy & Marker Messages", Paddling.net, 2009, webpage: PN-297
  3. 1 2 "Weathervanes and Weather Wisdom. - Weather Station Channel", www.usedweatherstation.com, 2009, webpage: UsedWeath-6300
  4. ↑ The Complete Sea Kayaker's Handbook, Shelley Johnson, 2001, p.171, weblink: Books-Google-IC
  5. 1 2 "Everyday Mysteries", Library of Congress, February 12, 2009, webpage: LOC-wsailor
  6. ↑ "Folk Lore Weather Forecasting", Cartage.org, 2008, webpage: Cartage-Lore

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