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
Split image showing a night-time UK rain radar map with blue precipitation bands, city temperature markers, and a rain cloud icon on the left, and a star-filled night sky with the Milky Way and a silhouetted telescope on the right, divided by a curved white line.
Sunday, 21 December 2025

Ursid meteor shower

Wish upon a Christmas star
Shooting stars, part of the Geminid meteor shower.
Saturday, 13 December 2025

Spot a shooting star

King of meteor showers at its peak
People walk through muddy streets after heavy rain, alongside a rain map of Morocco.
Tuesday, 16 December 2025

New rainfall in sight

Fatalities in Moroccan floods
All weather news
This might also interest you
Weather graphic showing rain and wind fields over the Canary Islands and a central warning symbol.
Friday, 12 December 2025

Storm and rain

Turbulent weather in the Canary Islands
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
Weather map of the UK and Ireland showing scattered showers with cloudy patches across much of the region, especially around western and northern areas. Sunshine symbols appear over London, Cardiff, and parts of southern England, while temperatures range from 17°C to 18°C in most places. Areas of heavier rain are visible over the Atlantic to the west.
Friday, 29 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Unsettled conditions into the weekend
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