Predicting Weather By The Moon - Xavier University Libraries

Weather By The Moon
likelihood of rain.
It matters where the Full or New Moon is, that is to
say, which hemisphere the Full moon is over. The Full Moon
shifts hemispheres from summer to winter. During the
Southern Hemisphere winter, the Full moon is over the
southern part of the globe, and it is over the north for the
Northern Hemisphere winter. When the Full moon is over
the Northern Hemisphere during the southern summer, the
Southern Hemisphere experiences a greater atmospheric
tide effect.. The bulge in the atmosphere will be over the
north, leaving the south with an atmosphere that is lower
after the moon has set. That is why a winter Full Moon in
the Southern Hemisphere generally brings either rainier
conditions or more oppressive humidity.
The New Moon is the opposite case. It will be over
the Southern Hemisphere in their summer but over the
Northern Hemisphere in the northern winter, therefore over
the opposite hemisphere to the one experiencing winter.
Games organisers would be wise to take note of this:
Sporting events held in the afternoons, between Full Moon
and Last Quarter have been shown to invite increased risk
of heat exhaustion because of the extra heat coming through
the shorter atmosphere. Any high energy event like the
marathon should be held in the early morning of this Moon
phase.
Clouds play a role in the effect of the atmospheric
tide. They trap heat below them. This is often very striking
at night. If a cloud layer is present in the winter, the air will
be much warmer at night than if the sky was clear. If such a
cloud layer dissipates, the temperature is sure to drop
86