old wifes tales

[dont overfil]

Red sky at night shepherds delight- Red sky in the morning shepherds warning.
I can understand the first part, but what's the scientific explanation for the second part.
Of course I would never suggest using it as part of your pre flight planning!!
DO

[Don Coyote]

The higher level clouds that precede a weather front show as a red glow in the early morning sun.

Hence a morning red sky is a warning that worse weather is to come.

[airborne_artist]

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/red-sky-at-night.html

[dont overfil]

Hi dc
I understand that but why different at night?
do

[Il Duce]

and "red sky at mid-day, this must be Chernobyl."

[Don Coyote]

By night it means sunset.

After a front passes the height of the cloud rises and it is the sun against this high cloud that gives a really good sunset. There is no cloud further west to prevent the sun shining against this high cloud so therefore there must be clear weather following.

[PingDit]

'No red sky at all'....You're pi$$ed and you've just fallen flat on your face.

[dont overfil]

But- a front arrives at first with high cloud and most of our weather in GB comes from the west. I'm going to the pub to debate it there.

[LH2]

Wild guess here is by the time morning comes the front in question has already passed? :uhoh:

[Mr_Hippo]

Liverpool WWII version

Red sky at night, Sailor's delight
Red sky in the morning, Birkenhead Docks on fire!

[airac]

Hi dc
I understand that but why different at night?
do

dont overfil

Wild guess here number two Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the earth spins . Think about it????:ugh:

[Dave Gittins]

I thought it was :

Red sky at night - the barn's caught alight.

Coat already on

[Fright Level]

I thought the red sky was created by sunlight diffracting through high pressure, so if the red sky was at night, the high pressure was in the west (and with prevailing westerlies, on it's way to UK). If the sky was red in the morning, then the high pressure is over Europe, east of us, with the low already approaching the UK. Take a look at some typical North Atlantic weather charts/videos and see how the systems predominantly move along from west to east.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/weatherwise/factfiles/forecasting/traditional.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire/weather/2003/02/11/hudson_roundup.shtml

[Dave Gittins]

I think it depends on the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere and thus the amount of diffraction of the last of the sunlight as the sun drops below the horizon. If it is sufficinetly dry the red end of the spectrum is the LAST you see.

In the morning if it is sufficiently moist you see the red end FIRST as the sun rises. (often shining on the bottom of clouds )

[dont overfil]

eddnr
This sounds the most likely theory. Thanks to all. Oh yes! pigdit, the sky was black on the way back from the pub.
DO

[jamestkirk]

'Look at the sock or you're an absolute cock'.

yes, a bit offensive but it does roll of the tongue

[Noah Zark.]

When the plover takes flight, there'll be rain afore night. ((The late, great Benny Hill.)