Red sky indicates bad weather on way, says expert

ISTANBUL

A prominent Turkish meteorologist has said red skies seen in the country’s largest metropolis Istanbul and the western province of İzmir during the early hours of March 16 indicates bad weather arriving in the country.

“The weather will get cold,” Orhan Şen told daily Milliyet on March 16.

According to a common belief, sailors believe that if the sky is red in the morning, the weather will be stormy, and if it is red in the evening, the weather will be sunny the day after.

When asked about the red sky photos uploaded on the internet by residents of Istanbul and İzmir, Şen said the reason behind the sky being red is due to “sunbeams.”

“Sun’s rays reach the Earth horizontally in the mornings. As they fracture the molecules in the air, the sky sometimes may turn red.”

Talking about this incident’s impact on the weather, Şen added, “I agree with sailors’ myth.”

According to the expert, temperatures will decrease across the country as of March 17, and apart from the west, there will be snowfall in many parts of the country starting March 18.

Highlighting that precipitation in the country’s west will more likely cause rainfall, he noted: “As of March 17, the Thracian region will face rainfall. Istanbul will witness sleet starting from March 18 until the beginning of next week.”