John Wibberley
Howling gales, whistling winds, gentle breezes; winds of change blow both seasonally and historically. I am writing this as wild winds buffet hedges and trees outside, and all who venture out. ‘When the wind is in the east, ’tis neither good for man nor beast’! And wind-chill from any direction on wet backs of young lambs at this season can be crippling to them and to sheep farming outcomes.
However, ‘a cow with its tail to the west, makes weather the best’ (mild, moist SW winds blowing in). ‘If woolly fleeces bestrew the heavenly way, be sure no rain will come today’ (ie wind-dispersed cumulus ‘fair weather’ clouds). ‘When bees crowd out of their hive, the weather makes it good to be alive. When bees crowd into their hive again, it is a sign of thunder and of rain.’ ‘When an icy wind warms, expect snow storms.’
Although ‘the wind and the weather may change together’ it is not always so; winds are often unpredictable. Harmattan dust from the Sahara can arrive in Britain, often noticed by deposits on car roofs and windscreens. Much migration by both birds and insects is done at quite high altitudes with the aid of wind flows. Winds and seasons frame life.
Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) (named ‘pasque’ because it flowers at Easter)1 is closely related to Anemones (windflowers) named from the Greek Anemos, meaning wind, from which we also name our windspeed measuring kit, the anemometer (although I still prefer the bands of Sir Francis Beaufort’s Scale of 1805, with its observable, real-life indicators, which take us right up to hurricanes).
Elementary wind is ‘a floating wave of air, whose undulation continually varies’. Winds move from place to place in response to pressure variations, and, regarding barometers to measure this, it is generally true that ‘long notice, long last; short notice soon past’. Competent sailors say: ‘you can’t change the wind, but you can adjust your sails to reach your destination’. You can tack into the wind, and even a breath of wind can help reach port! Indeed, each breath of ours is a form of wind. As actor Leonardo DiCaprio said in 2020: “if you really think that the environment is less important than the economy, try holding your breath while you count your money”!
Of course, environment and economy are powerfully interdependent. Many a landscape is enhanced, its biodiversity enriched and its agricultural productivity improved by windbreaks strategically constructed and sited. Wind pollination is vital to many plants. On a narrow lane I often travel, a SW-windswept tree bends over the lane yet, inspiringly, its roots firmly hold it growing from year to year.
When livestock are housed, proper ventilation (as natural as possible) is crucial. Yorkshire Boarding with its vertical gaps between slats (and often with open ridge too) can ensure that tell-tale grey-black moulds do not thrive and, thus, that animals are less likely to suffer pneumonia. Air circulation in crops too avoids microclimates that encourage pathogens. Harnessing the wind enables sailing, milling and electricity generation; buffeting builds character!
“The wind blows [breathes] where it will; and though you hear its sound, yet you neither know where it comes from nor where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the [Holy] Spirit’ (John 3:8). So said Jesus, addressing Nicodemus, a senior Sanhedrin (Council) member, who came after sundown to enquire about His teachings. With Christ we can better weather any storm. Psalm 29 describes a thunderstorm, but “the Lord makes the storm a calm” (Psalm 107:29). When Jesus calmed a storm on Galilee (Mark 4:37-41), the disciples exclaimed: “What manner of man is this that even the wind & the sea obey Him?’” Where do we turn when buffeted by winds? Windbreaks help, but why not ask the Lord Jesus Christ?
Extracted from: ‘FCN Devon Team: monthly Reflections & Prayers, No. 122, February 2024’.
Pasqueflower is the Plantlife ‘county flower’ of both Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.
Never know you were a meteorologist as well as everything else!