Does anyone know what Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning means?

Answer 1

Comes from the Navy.
A sunset causing a "red sky" means that the next day will be of moderate warmth. Generally a nice day. "Red in the morning" usually means that the tempetures will soar throughout the day. It was very important to sailors who spent most of the day out on the deck of the ship (usually a metal deck) and unprotected from the heat of the sun.

Answer 2

The complete saying states: RED SKY IN MORNING, SAILORS WARNING; RED SKY AT NIGHT, SAILORS DELIGHT. This saying only applies to mid-latitude locations (winds are easterly in the tropics / in the high latitudes the sun rises and sets at a large deviation from the east-west trajectory). Storm systems in the middle latitudes generally move west to east. A red sky in the morning implies the rising sun in the east is shining on clouds to the west and conditions are clear to the east. Clouds moving from the west (especially upper level cirrus) indicate an approaching storm system. A red sky at night implies the sun (setting in the west) is shining on clouds to the east and conditions are clear to the west (because the sun can be seen setting). If you can see the sunset, the sky will be redder. Clouds to the east indicate an exiting storm system in the middle latitudes. Upper level clouds (especially cirrus) are noted for giving the sky a reddish hue during dawn or dusk. As a mid-latitude cyclone approaches, it is the upper level cirrus that are seen first, followed by lower clouds. The approach of upper level cirrus from the west often indicates an approaching storm system. The sky will not be as red at night if a storm system is approaching because the sun is setting behind the clouds approaching from the west. A red sky at night implies "the storm system moving through has ended!"; The clouds have broken and the sun is shining on and reddening the exiting clouds. The sun will continue to shine on clouds for a period of time after the sun has dipped below the horizon (especially cirrus). Keep in mind this saying was developed before satellite, radar and modern meteorological knowledge. Much of the knowledge of an approaching storm system back then was cloud and wind patterns. Of course, this saying (weather folklore) has some profound problems such as:

(1) The sky can be "reddish" near the sun at dawn and dusk (with or without clouds)
(2) storm systems do not always move straight west to east
(3) cirrus can occur without a storm system approaching or leaving. Clouds can cover one side of the sky or the other without being directly associated with a storm system
(4) the meteorological sailor may delight at an approaching storm system even while taking precautions at the same time
(5) rarely do the clouds from an approaching or exiting storm system only cover 1/2 of the eastern or western sky. The saying represents an ideal case.

SUMMARY: If you can see the sunrise but the west part of the sky is dark: look out for approaching bad weather. If you can see the sunset: the weather conditions will be nice.

Answer 3

Note sure about the 'Sailor' version, but ...

Red sky at night Shepard's Delight
Red skin in the morning, Shepard's warning..

A red sky is produced when a setting sun shines up onto the underside of clouds. For this to happen, the sky where the sun is setting must be clear. Since in Britain, depressions bring bad weather from the west, then a red sky at sunset indicates no cloud in the west. ie no depression on the way and so fine weather is expected for the poor shepherd who has to sit out on the hillside counting sheep and staying awake.

The next part of the saying is "Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning". In this case the clear sky is in the east and the cloud is in the west. It is therefore likely that a depression is moving in from the west and could bring rain.

Answer 4

Red sky at morning, sailor's warning,
Red sky at night, sailor's delight.

A red sunset probably means good weather tomorrow.Weather systems typically move from west to east, and red clouds result when the sun shines on their undersides at either sunrise or sunset. At these two times of day, the sun's light is passing at a very low angle through a great thickness of atmosphere, the result of which is the absorption of most of the shorter wavelengths -- the greens, blues, and violets -- of the visible spectrum, and so sunlight is heavy at the red end of the spectrum. If the morning skies are red, it is likely that clear skies to the east permit the sun to light the undersides of moisture-bearing clouds coming in from the west. Conversely, in order to see red clouds in the evening, sunlight must have a clear path from the west in order to illuminate moisture-bearing clouds moving off to the east. There are many variations on this piece of lore, but they all carry the same message.

Answer 5

Red Sky At Night... The origin of the saying is unknown, although a form of it appears in the bible (Matthew 16:2-3). It has some basis in science and is a fairly good predictor of-though no guarantee-of weather at the mid latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, where storm systems generally follow the jet stream from west to east. A red sky in the morning indicates a sun rising in clear eastern skies casting its rays on storm clouds approaching from the west. At night the clear sight of the red setting sun would tell a sailor that no storms are to the west.*****

Answer 6

When the evening sky turns red, it signals good, calm weather for the next day, so sailors were delighted!

However, a red sky at dawn usually meant that storms were on the way, so the sailors would batten down the hatches.

I used to work on boats, and surprisingly, this was a pretty good indicator. Some of those old sayings really were based on fact.

Answer 7

We say Shepherd but the meanings the same, If there is a red sky at night, the next day is going to be good and if there is a red sky in the morning the day is going to be bad. I do go by this old saying and have found it a good weather indicator.

Answer 8

Important point: This saying is only reliable if the weather is moving from west to east. If you are North of 40 degrees latitude (roughly North Carolina) you can plan your day by it. If you are South of 20 degrees latitude (roughly Jacksonville, FL) then you might find the weather moving the other direction for most of hurricane season.

If you really want to get specific, you can also check the weather shift (high clouds moving clockwise to the low clouds mean something different from counterclockwise).

It might be better to check the weather forecast on the internet. Forecasted clear skies and light wind are a sailor's delight. Forcasted storms are a warning.

Answer 9

Those are sayings related to weather conditions. I guess they mean that when you see a red sky at night (sunset) the sky is probably clear of clouds, but if that happens in the morning (a while after sunrise, when it's supposed to be brighter) it may indicate quite the opposite: the presence of clouds and a possible storm forming...

Answer 10

It means that a reddish tint to the sky in the evening indicated the next day will have calm weather. If the sky is red in the morning, that meant a storm would come up during the day and they should be ready.

I don't know if it has any scientific accuracy or not.