Home / Editor's Pick /

Can crickets reveal the temperature?

06:00
1 May 2022

Weather myths
Can crickets reveal the temperature?

Spring means that we will soon hear the chirping of crickets once again, but could you use their chirps to work out the temperature?

Yes, as strange as it sounds there is a way of using the frequency of the chirps to calculate how warm it is in your area.

The relationship was first discovered by Margarette W. Brooks in 1881 but is known as the Dolbear’s Law after Amos Dolbear who published the findings in 1897.

It’s a simple measure to carry out. Simply count the number of chirps in 25 seconds, divide that number by three and add four to find the temperature in Celsius.

This doesn’t work as accurately with field crickets as their chirping is influenced by other factors but will still provide a rough temperature.

So, as the crickets begin to reappear and their chirps once again flow through the air try this trick yourself.

Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
Radar map showing widespread blue rain bands over the UK and Ireland with a triangular heavy-rain warning icon placed over central Britain.
Tuesday, 16 December 2025

Thursday rain

Incoming downpour prompts warnings
Shooting stars, part of the Geminid meteor shower.
Saturday, 13 December 2025

Spot a shooting star

King of meteor showers at its peak
Map comparison showing 44 degrees in Indulkana and minus 51 degrees in Olenyok. Coloured temperature ranges show stark global contrasts.
Tuesday, 9 December 2025

Global extremes

Almost 100 degrees difference in temperature
All weather news
This might also interest you
Split weather map showing the UK and Ireland. The left side illustrates strong winds circulating around a low-pressure system, with gusts of 20–30 mph highlighted in orange and yellow. The right side shows radar imagery with widespread blue rain bands and patches of thunderstorms, especially over northern England and Scotland.
Thursday, 28 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Remaining widely unsettled
Mammatus clouds
Thursday, 21 August 2025

Unusual view

Mammatus clouds over Ireland
Wednesday, 27 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Frontal system brings heavy rain
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList