As summer approaches, Brits hoping for sunshine might look to an old English weather proverb involving oak and ash trees. The saying goes: 'Ash before oak is a soak, but oak before ash is a splash,' suggesting that if ash trees bud before oaks, the summer will be wet and cold, while oak-first indicates warm, bright weather.
This method, originating in the 16th century, was used by farmers and rural communities to forecast seasons through phenology—observing nature's cycles. While scientific evidence is scarce, many still rely on these sayings, which have often proven surprisingly accurate.
The Met Office has studied some weather proverbs and found scientific backing for them. For instance, 'Red sky at night, shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning' is explained by atmospheric scattering of light. Similarly, 'Clear moon, frost soon' reflects how clear skies lead to temperature drops.
