Surfers meteorology

Let's be honest, you gotto know weather if you wanna make sure you score the surf. Sure, it's as easy as logging on to your favourite surf report or wind forecast sites, but it's still a helluva lot cooler if you're able to have a stab at what the weathers gonna be doing without having to consult www.com

Sards sunset © Paul John Wright

Here's a few old school ways to predict the weather.

Starting with an easy one. Sure you've heard the old saying that goes "Red sky at night is a sailors delight, red sky in the morning a sailors warning" which implies it's gonna be a lekker day tomorrow if there's a kiff sunset, and the possibility of a kak day if there's a beaut sunrise. But where does the saying come from, and does it actually make any sense?

The saying dates back thousands of years and just might have some scientific truth behind it. Kind of. 

The colors we see in the sky are due to the rays of sunlight being split into colors of the spectrum as they pass through the atmosphere and bounce off the water vapor and particles that it contains. The amount of water vapor and dust particles in the atmosphere turn out to be pretty good indicators of weather conditions. And guess what - they also determine which colors we will see in the sky.

During sunrise and sunset the sun is low in the sky, and so light is being transmitted through the thickest part of the atmosphere. A red sky suggests an atmosphere packed with dust and moisture particles. We see the red, because red wavelengths (the longest in the color spectrum) are breaking through the atmosphere. The shorter wavelengths, such as blue, are scattered by the dust & moisture and broken up. The red sky at sunset often results from clear skies, which means there's most likely a high pressure cell around which will keep storms at bay.

Pollok beach ring © Luc Hosten

"A Ring Around the Sun or Moon, Rain or Snow Is Coming Soon" is another of the old sayings. 

It’s an effect of our own atmosphere that meteorologists call a “halo effect,” because diffracted light rays create a halo around a bright object. 

The halos are caused by tiny ice crystals that have gathered thousands of feet above the ground, as thin, wispy clouds (called cirrostratus for the technically minded). These clouds are so thin, you might not notice them at all if it weren't for their effect on the  sun or moonlight. The incoming light rays from the sun or moon are bent, or diffracted, by these ice crystals at an angle of 22 degrees.

This means that in addition to the direct sun/moonlight, you will also see diffracted sun/moonlight in a circle 22 degrees away from the sun or moon. This is about the distance of your fist, held at arm’s length. Which is what we see as the halo.

Does it mean that rain is coming soon? Those high, wispy clouds could be the forerunners of storm clouds right behind them, so yip - rings could mean rain.

Another good way to find out if a front's on the way is to ask a ballie! If he moans about joint or bone pain, then there could be waves on the way.

Arthritis pain and physical discomfort kick in when the barometric pressure changes. Many people with joint problems, teeth issues or recently healed broken bones will feel some aches as the barometer drops. Low barometric pressure means an approaching cold front, which might bring some surf with it.

Big Dave's had a hip replacement - so he's a walking barometer....just drop him a line to ask him how the hips feeling!

Kak day coffee

Kiff day coffee

Moving from old wives tales to new urban legends. This one may or may not be true. But given the amount of posts I see every morning on my Facebook feed of ou's cups of coffee - I'm thinking there should be plenty peeps out there that can give this one a test. You just gonna have to forgo the fancy froth and go old school basic for this one though....

So, wanna know what the weathers doing - take a look at your cuppa coffee in the morning and check out the bubbles (no bubbles? no problem. Just give your cup a good stir!)

Do the bubbles collect in the center? Supposedly that means you’re in a high-pressure system, which is making the coffee’s surface convex (higher in the middle). Since bubbles are mostly air, they migrate to the highest point. It’s going to be a lekker day. 

If the bubbles form a ring around the sides of your mug, you’re in a low-pressure system, making the surface concave - so the highest points on the surface of ya coffee are around the edges. Rain is likely. 

A word of caution about the coffee barometer -  you gotto be drinking strong, brewed coffee, as this has enough oil for the trick to work, and your mug must have straight sides. Those instant coffee granules ain't gonna tell you nothing. Another good reason to drink real coffee!

Keen to see what the local PE coffee-culture surfers make of this - please report back on your bubbles guys! Jamie Bell, Gino Fabbri and the rest of the coffee crew - we await your verdict on this one....