Nature’s own weather forecasters
Did you know that certain plants too can accurately forecast weather? Unlike us, they do it without computers and other instruments.
One such plant is the Silver Oak tree. When a storm is about to approach, they flip over their leaves, exposing their silvery undersides. The mosaic of silver against the darkened sky serves to be an indicator of a storm approaching.
There is a scientific explanation for this. Not only, there is ‘calm before a storm’, as the old saying goes, but you may have noticed, there is also a ‘coolness before a storm’ brought about by a moisture-laden wind. The hot air in the area tends to rise and small eddy currents or breezes cause the light, papery leaves to flip over. Ever wondered why do these trees and their leaves show this phenomenon? We are yet to find out.
There are other signs and elements observed in nature’s beings, which cannot be explained. Birds, especially crows, gather on treetops and raise a ruckus just before an earthquake. Is it because they can sense the tectonic movements of the earth?
It is a well-known fact that during the tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004, which took the Andaman Islands and southern parts of the Indian mainland by surprise and storm, none of the wild animals in the forests was affected. They all escaped, of their own accord, to higher grounds but the loss of human lives and property there was magnanimous, as we were not able to predict it.
Does this indicate that animals have extrasensory perception, which we humans have lost through the years, owing to our excessive dependency on technology?
For more, do read the author’s story ‘The Storm’ in her book, ‘Our Green Saviours’.
Cover Pic: The Storm (Silver Oak Tree)
Have an interesting article you’d like to share with us? Send articles at info@saevus.in and get a chance to be featured on our blog site! So what are you waiting for? Hurry!
Have something to add to this story? Tell us in the comments section below.
