55 Feeling the Forecast

To find out what the weather is going to be, most people go straight to the radio, television, or newspaper to get an expert weather forecast. But if you know what to look for, you can use your own senses to make weather predictions.

There are many signs that can help you. For example, in fair weather the air pressure is generally high, the air is still and often full of dust, and faraway objects may look hazy. But when a storm is brewing, the pressure drops and you are often able to see things more clearly. Sailors took note of this long ago and came up with a saying: “The farther the sight, the nearer the rain.”

Your sense of smell can also help you detect weather changes. Just before it rains, odors become stronger. This is because odors are repressed in a fair, high-pressure center. When a bad weather low moves in, air pressure lessens and odors are released.

You can also hear an approaching storm. Sounds bounce off heavy storm clouds and return to earth with increased force. An old saying describes it this way: “Sound traveling far and wide, a stormy day will bide.”

And don’t scoff if your grandmother says she can feel a storm coming. It is commonly known that many people feel pains in their bones or in corns and bunions when the humidity rises, the pressure drops, and bad weather is on the way.

# 55 感知天气预报

想要知道接下来的天气如何，大多数人会直接通过收音机、电视或报纸获取专业的天气预报。但如果你知道要观察什么，就能用自己的感官来预测天气。

有很多迹象能帮到你。比如，在晴朗天气里，气压通常较高，空气静止且常布满灰尘，远处的物体可能看起来雾蒙蒙的。但当暴风雨酝酿时，气压会下降，你往往能更清晰地看到事物。水手们很久以前就注意到了这一点，还总结出一句谚语：“视野越远，降雨越近。”

你的嗅觉也能帮你察觉天气变化。下雨前夕，气味会变得更浓烈。这是因为在晴朗的高压中心，气味会被抑制。当坏天气的低压系统逼近时，气压降低，气味就会释放出来。

你也能听到逼近的暴风雨。声音会从厚重的风暴云反射回来，以更强的力度传回地面。有句老话是这么描述的：“声音传得远又广，暴风雨天要来访。”

如果你的祖母说她能感觉到暴风雨要来了，别嘲笑她。众所周知，当湿度上升、气压下降、坏天气即将来临时，很多人会感到骨头、鸡眼或拇囊炎部位疼痛。