How to tell if it is going to rain?

Question

Lets say you don't have any access to a weather forecast, how do you tell if it is going to rain from your surroundings? Other than the dark clouds above, ofcourse. Can you tell how long the storm will last for and how bad the rain will be?

Answer 1

This probably isnt the best answer you will get but this method works for me. Usually when I see that birds are flying pretty low throughout the day, this means that its going to rain within the next couple of days. My mom taught me this when I was small and it nearly always works for me.

Answer 2

Watch the birds. If birds stop singing and are finding shelter, the odds are high that it will rain. If the birds keep flying around and keep singing, it will probably stay nice weather.

Keep a special eye on swallows. If they are flying low, the insects they eat are flying low and it will probably rain soon. If the swallows are flying high, it is likely that the weather stays nice.

      or it's even a feeling that people get; sometimes, most people. that deep feeling that you sense. there's a particular scent in the air; wowwwww, i can just feel it. cool, right? hope this helps you.

Answer 3

Sometimes the clouds look different, like the google image I found. You can see the rain coming down underneath. Plus I think it depends on how big the cloud is and how dark. The place in the picture looks like its going to have a heavy downpour.

http://k43.pbase.com/g6/39/436339/2/7760...

Answer 4

I live in the upper midwest and there is absolutely no way to tell if it is going to rain.  A barometer is of limited value in my experience.  Generally falling pressure indicates storms and rising pressure indicates fair weather.  If the sky is black all the way to the horizon to the west, it is either the end of the world or a severe storm heading your way.  If the sky looks green and the clouds are poochy looking it could be a tornado watch time. If you don't reach the shelter in time and the tornado picks up your house, you may or may not end up in munchkin land.   Unfortunately it is a bad neighborhood with the occasional green-skinned witch who obviously never washes.  She has a red shoe fetish and if you are the owner of the house that killed her sister she will do more than sue your ***.  Even if it was kind of an act of God.  

Being green skinned the witch needs fashion advice.  Red only looks good on blondes.  Everyone else should avoid it like the plague.

Answer 5

It's usually hard to tell and generally dependent on several factors. Like living along a coast line, living in warmer regions, etc. etc.

A little trick that works really well (unfortunately thanks to boy scouts) is look at the clouds. If there is a large abundance of clouds in the sky that are looking a bit grey then obviously there will be anywhere from a light drizzle to a small shower. If the sky is completely empty and free of clouds and there is a strong wind, expect a large storm in the next few days. Those are the only techniques I've learned, and I sure there are plenty others.

AND! during a storm you can tell how far away the eye of it is away(in miles) from your area by counting the number of seconds between the lightning and thunder and dividing your result by 2.

But other than that...there's always the whether channel.

Answer 6

Here is how you do it in the northern hemisphere:

You put yourself with the wind from behind then you look at the clouds. If they move from your left hand side, then a low pressure is probably approaching and rain can be expected.

The technical reason is that the wind turns anti-clockwise around a low pressure. But near the ground and due to the friction, it moves more directly toward the center of the low pressure.

An urban legend says that the technique was used in the old days by seafarers. It is true but ... only when on land and never at sea. On a moving boat, you cannot assess the direction of the clouds. I know, after having sailed more than half a century.

Answer 7

When it is going to rain, I get a bad headache.  I can't tell how long it's going to last or how bad it's going to be though.