Fine weather When clouds are “soft-looking or delicate.”
Wind When clouds are hard-edged or oily-looking.
Less wind In proportion as the clouds look _softer_.
More wind The harder, more “greasy,” rolled, tufted, or ragged the clouds look.
Rain When small-inky-looking clouds appear.
Wind _and_ rain When light scud clouds are seen driving across heavy masses.
Wind only When light scud clouds are seen alone.
Change of wind When high upper clouds cross the sun, moon, or stars in a direction different from that of the lower clouds, or the wind then felt below.
Wind With tawny or copper-coloured clouds.
The following “Weather Warnings” may be gathered from the COLOUR OF THE SKY:—
Whether clear or cloudy, a rosy sky at sunset presages fine weather; a sickly greenish hue, wind and rain; a red sky in the morning, bad weather, or much wind or rain; a grey sky in the morning, fine weather; a high dawn (_i. e._, when the first indications of daylight are seen above a bank of clouds), wind; a low dawn (_i. e._, when the day breaks on or near the horizon), fair weather. Light, delicate, quiet tints or colours, with soft, indefinite forms of clouds, indicate and accompany fine weather; but gaudy or unusual hues, with hard, definitely outlined clouds, foretell rain and probably strong wind. Also a bright yellow sky at sunset presages wind; a pale yellow, wet; orange or copper-coloured, wind and rain: and thus, by the prevalence of red, yellow, green, grey, or other tints, the coming weather may be told very nearly; indeed, if aided by instruments, almost exactly.
After fine, clear weather the first signs in a sky of a coming change are usually light streaks, curls, wisps, or mottled patches of white distant cloud, which increase and are followed by an overcasting of murky vapour that grows into cloudiness. This appearance, more or less oily or watery as wind or rain will prevail, is an infallible sign.
Usually, the higher and more distant such clouds seem to be, the more gradual, but general, the coming change of weather will prove.
Misty clouds, forming or hanging on heights, show wind and rain coming, if they remain, increase, or descend; if they rise or disperse, the weather will improve or become fine.