5 Animals Believed to Predict the Weather

VIVA – In folklore or legends, there are many animals that can talk or even predict the weather. But it turns out, some animals are believed to predict the weather in real life.

Experts believe animals are acutely perceptive of minute changes in the environment, like barometric pressure, the seasons, and humidity. Animals also have heightened senses, which may account for their supposed weather-predicting abilities and change of behavior before a storm. They can feel, hear, and smell the environmental changes that humans cannot.

Well, here are some animals believed to predict the weather, as quoted from various sources.

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Ras kucing Scottish Fold

Photo :

• Mypets

Cats are known for being sensitive, and many people believe this extra sensitivity means they can predict thunderstorms and inclement weather. A cat’s senses are much sharper than humans'. Therefore, they can detect falling atmospheric pressure.

With heightened hearing, cats can hear the rumble of thunder that is still far away. Experts also believe they can probably smell the metallic odor in the atmosphere that occurs right before a storm. Cats may also be able to smell the distinct scent of rain itself.

2. Dogs

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ilustrasi anjing

Photo :

• freepik/Racool_studio

Many people think dogs have weather-predicting abilities, which accounts for stories of canines alerting families of impending danger, like tornadoes or hurricanes. Their behavior may range from barking furiously to whining and trying to hide somewhere safe, like under the bed or in the closet.

Dogs may behave strangely when they can sense environmental and atmospheric changes, like a drop in pressure and the electricity in the air before a storm. They also have a much better sense of smell than humans, so they can smell an incoming thunderstorm before it hits.

3. Cows

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Ilustrasi sapi.

Photo :

• VIVA.co.id/Muhamad Solihin

Perhaps you’ve heard the old proverb that when cows lie down, it means rain. Another saying is, “When a cow endeavors to scratch its ear, it means a shower is very near.”

Researchers wanted to test this theory, and they found that it’s true. Cows lose heat by standing up, so they lie down when they sense the air temperature dropping (like it does before a rainstorm).

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Ilustrasi Burung langka Cendrawasih asal Papua

Photo :

• VIVA.co.id/www.lookup.co.id

The behavior of birds is another way that you can predict an oncoming rainstorm or thunderstorm. The folklore stories say that birds flying low to the ground indicate foul weather, but that may not be true.

Instead, if you see sudden migrations, many birds perching on power lines, or seagulls flying in from the coast, it usually means that a rainstorm is coming. That’s because birds can hear infrasound, a very low frequency that humans can’t hear. Their heightened sense of hearing lets them listen to storms rolling in from hundreds of miles away.

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Ilustrasi Domba.

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Sheep are another animal that can predict the weather, according to some cultures. For example, people in Iceland think that if the sheep start to urinate more frequently, it’s a sign of rain to come, and bright yellow urine means the day will be sunny and bright.

It’s unclear whether this wives’ tale is accurate or not. Another way sheep can supposedly tell the weather is when they start to headbutt each other, which foretells heavy wind. 

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Researchers wanted to test this theory, and they found that it’s true. Cows lose heat by standing up, so they lie down when they sense the air temperature dropping (like it does before a rainstorm).