Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
Home / Editor's Pick /

Red sky at night, shepherd's delight?

20:00
22 April 2023

Is it true?
Red sky at night, shepherd's delight?

Red sky

"Red sky at night shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning shepherd's warning”, is there truth behind the popular phrase?

The colours we see at sunrise/sunset are because of sunlight being scattered as it passes through the atmosphere and ricocheted off water vapour, aerosols, and dust particles in the atmosphere.

It is the amount of water vapour and particles in the atmosphere which give the indication of upcoming weather conditions based on the colours we see.

In the mid-latitudes, weather moves from west to east. So, when a storm exits, stable weather arrives from the west. The sun, which sets in the west, then illuminates the departing clouds with hues of orange, yellow, and red.

This is what makes the first half of the saying make sense scientifically: "red skies at night, shepherd's delight."

However, should you see a red sky in the morning, the sun, which rises in the east, is illuminating the clouds of an incoming weather system and rain from the west. This is why the phrase ends with "red skies in the morning, shepherd's warning".

Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
Europe weather map showing widespread sunshine across Spain, France, Italy, and central Europe, with temperatures in the teens and low 20s, and a band of rain over Ireland and the eastern Atlantic moving toward the UK.
Thursday, 26 February 2026

Low vs high pressure

Gloom returns as Europe still basks
Split wind forecast maps showing strong winds across the UK and a deep low pressure system near Iceland, with orange and red shading, swirling streamlines, and a central windsock warning icon.
Wednesday, 25 February 2026

In the coming days

Pressure setup brings renewed gusts
Split image showing a pastel countryside sunset with pink and orange sky over rolling hills on the left, and a vivid red ocean sunset with dark waves and glowing clouds on the right, divided by a curved white line.
Sunday, 22 February 2026

Your weather - Your shots

Sky views from the final week of winter
All weather news
This might also interest you
UK temperature map dated 14.02 showing widespread subzero values in blue shading, with readings such as −4 in Glasgow, −3 in Dublin, and −2 in London, alongside a blue thermometer icon.
Friday, 13 February 2026

Icy conditions

A frozen start to the weekend
Illustration of white and yellow fireworks on a blue background.
Wednesday, 31 December 2025

Hello 2026

Happy New Year
Split image showing aerial flooding in a town with muddy water covering roads on the left, and a rural road on the right blocked by heavy snowfall with vans stopped and a person walking in snow.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Storm Chandra

Flooding, gales, and heavy snow
All articles
Weather & Radar
GB
Clima & Radar Brasil
Hava durumu & Radar Türkiye
Időjárás és Radar Magyarország
Καιρός & Ραντάρ Ελλάδα
Météo & Radar Belgique (Français)
Météo & Radar France
Meteo & Radar Italia
Meteo & Radar România
Météo & Radar Suisse (Français)
Meteo & Radars Latvija
OrasOnline Lietuva
Počasí & Radar Czechia
Počasie & Radar Slovensko
Pogoda & Radar Polska
Погода & Радар Україна (українська)
Tempo & Radar Portugal
Tiempo & Radar Argentina
Tiempo & Radar España
Vejr & Radar Danmark
Vreme & Radar Slovenija
Vreme & Radar Srbija
Vrijeme & Radar Bosna
Vrijeme & Radar Crna Gora
Vrijeme & Radar Hrvatska
Време & Радар България
Времето & Радар Macedonia
Weather & Radar India (English)
Weather & Radar Ireland
Weather & Radar USA (English)
Weather & Radar USA (Español)
Weer & Radar België (Nederlands)
Weer & Radar Nederland

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList