Weather sayings
What does “red sky at night, shepherd’s delight” mean?
A red sunset means fair weather tomorrow; a red sunrise (“red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning”, or sailor’s warning) means rain may be on its way.
“Red sky at night. Barbecue’s on tomorrow.”
Get roasted by your own forecastFree, no account, and you pick how rude I get.
Where it comes from
It is old. A version appears in the Gospel of Matthew (16:2–3), and English versions name shepherds or sailors depending on who is telling it.
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Is it true?
Often, in places where weather moves from west to east, as it does across most of the US and the UK. A red sunset means the sun is shining through dry, dusty air to the west, where tomorrow’s weather comes from. A red sunrise means clear sky to the east is lighting up cloud and moisture arriving from the west.
What I think of “red sky at night, shepherd’s delight”
Red sky at night: the one forecast that comes with a nice view and no app.
Red sky in the morning means rain, which the sky had the decency to warn you about in colour.
Shepherds had a red sky. You have me. Progress.
More weather sayings
Sources: Matthew 16:2–3; standard meteorology on westerly weather.