Make the nature your buddy, read the clouds and know why animals behave the way they do. And that’s it! You’ll be your own weather forecaster in minutes. However, every prediction method is based on the same principle: low pressure brings rain, and major weather systems move from west to east. Predicting the weather is all about recognizing the signs of pressure change in your area.
1) First and foremost. Read the clouds and observe the sky because the types of clouds in the sky and the direction in which they're moving, can tell you a lot about the upcoming weather. There are several types of cloud formations, like the Cirro stratus (rain or clouds of snow storm), clouds that are white and high indicate good weather, and clouds that are dark and low mean rain or storms are on their way. Cloud cover on a winter night means you can expect warmer weather because clouds prevent heat radiations that lower the temperature on a clear night.
2) Gaze the moon. If the moon is bright it's probably because a low pressure has cleared out the dust and rain might be on its way. A ring around the moon can indicate that rain will probably fall within the next three days.
3) Feel the wind and try to know the direction. Next time you are camping with your friends at a hill station, try to notice the direction of the wind. If the smoke doesn’t rise steadily and swirls then you know that rain is on its way.
4) High humidity is often an indicator of rain. Check for humidity in your area. On a very humid day, your hair will become sticky and oily, whereas on a dry day, your hair will become frizzy and rough. Under humid conditions, wood swells up.
5) Do the dew test! If the grass is dry, it indicates clouds or a strong breeze with chances of rain. And if there's dew, it probably won't rain that day.
6) Close your eyes, absorb the environment and smell the air around you. Flowers smell best just before rain. Scents are stronger in moist air and just before a rainy weather and there is that wonderful smell of wet mud called petrichor.
7) Animals are your best friends in a lot of ways. Little do people know that they help in predicting the weather too. It is said that turtles search for higher ground before heavy rain. And if you do not have turtles around you, which will most probably be the case, observe cows and ants. Cows will stand on a hot sunny day and will typically lie down before a storm. You will see more ants around the house, stacking food for bad weather.
8) Know what that beautiful rainbow means. A rainbow in the east around sunset means that the rain is on its way out and you can look forward to sunny days ahead.
9) You would often notice a beautiful red sky in Delhi during the post monsoon period. If you see a red sky during sunset, there is a high pressure system with dust in the air, causing the sky to look red. This means, dry air is heading towards you.
10) People who spend a great deal of their time outdoors, particularly farmers and fishermen learn to predict the weather by observing trends. You too could try doing the same. Start noticing weather patterns around you in your geographical location to predict weather.
Photo by metafilter.