On 29/10/2012 11:33, Steve Jackson wrote:
Does anyone happen to know if any 'serious' research has been done into the validity of the folklore saying,

"Red sky at night, shepherd's delight,
Red sky in morning, fisherman's warning."

Just wondered!

Steve J

.... Paul Marriott, who I used to converse with on the Strike conference
back in the 1990s, wrote a book entitled ... "Red Sky at Night,
Shepherd' Delight?"; this was published in 1981 by Sheba Books and is
the result of his researches/analysis into all 'weather lore' that we
are aware of within the British Isles.

He devised a star rating system, from one-star (1-16% correct/very poor)
to six stars (81-100%/Excellent). Not many get the upper rating, and
those of five stars are notable for their rarity, but the particular one
you mention (and which of course is the title of his book), rates five
stars (very good/65-80% correct). There are many variations of the
couplet of course.

Well worth getting a copy if your interest lies in this field. There
must be other researches, but I'm not aware of them.

Available on Amazon ....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/red-sky-nigh.../dp/B000LEJN58

Martin.


--
West Moors / East Dorset
Lat: 50deg 49.25'N, Long: 01deg 53.05'W
Height (amsl): 17 m (56 feet)
COL category: C1 overall