Signs of foul weather

The most widespread weather notion was that the time of day when the moon changed decided the weather for the whole month, though astronomers told Chambers it was groundless. Admiral FitzRoy did approve some common weather wisdom: a red evening and grey morning foretold fair weather, a red morning rain or wind, and a high dawn wind. Sea birds keeping to the land, swallows flying low, pigs carrying straw to their sties and chimney smoke that would not rise all meant rain or storm. Chambers printed Erasmus Darwin’s rhyme of signs, from sleeping spaniels and damp walls to the closed pimpernel and old Betty’s aching joints.