PINOY WEATHER-RELATED SUPERSTITIONS -TRUE OR FALSE?

2019 has just begun, but the superstitions from our ancestors still thrive in our culture. Even an everyday thing such as the weather isn’t immune to such baseless beliefs. To help us debunk some weather-related superstitions, we consult experts from no less than PAGASA.

1. “Bawal magsuot ng pulang damit o gumamit ng pulang payong kapag umuulan. Baka tamaan ka ng kidlat.” (Don’t wear red or use a red umbrella when raining to prevent getting hit by lightning.)

This is a usual saying we hear before heading out during the rainy season. Maybe this is rooted in the fact that red is a strong color and attracts whoever sees it—even lightning.

What PAGASA Weather Specialist Chris Perez says:

“Lightning can strike anything, anywhere. It is dependent on the concentration of charged particles–positive and negative charges within a thunderstorm cloud and on the ground. The negative charges at the bottom of a thunderstorm cloud are attracted to the positive charges on the ground. These positive charges can be from anything (trees, metal objects, even people)

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Regardless of your shirt’s or umbrella’s color, we have to be extra careful whenever we go outside during a thunderstorm. https://panahon.tv/beta/v2/web/blog/2015/06/squat-if-you-must-how-to-keep-yourself-safe-during-thunderstorms/

2. “Sasakit ang tiyan mo kapag nakaamoy ka ng alimuom.” (The damp ground’s smell will give you a tummy ache.)

The earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil is called petrichor. Such odor may smell unpleasant to some people.

What PAGASA Weather Specialist Ariel Rojas says:

Petrichor is not known to cause any bodily harm – chemical, biochemical or otherwise. So have no fear of getting those tummy aches when inhaling that scent because it’s a bluff!

3. “Kapag kumanta ang taong hindi maganda ang boses, uulan.” (When someone sings off-key, it will rain.)

Nope, this one doesn’t need a scientific explanation. A person’s singing voice doesn’t have anything to do with the weather. This superstition may have been coined to discourage people who can’t sing to belt out tunes.

4. “Kapag umuulan habang umaaraw, may ikinakasal na tikbalang.” (When the sun is shining at the same time it’s raining, it means a werehorse is being wed.)

This myth, involving a tikbalang (a half human, half horse creature from Philippine folklore) is probably the most popular weather-related superstition.  Across the globe, it is generally believed that such weird weather indicates the wedding day or birthday of a trickster figure (e.g. witch, monkey, fox, etc.). That is why on these characters’ special day, the weather pulls its own prank on us, humans.

What PAGASA Weather Specialist Chris Perez says:

This scenario usually happens during the Hot and Dry, and Monsoon seasons. Isolated thunderstorms, which brings rain showers, can occur anytime during a hot, sunny day. Winds associated with a thunderstorm can blow raindrops into an area with no clouds, resulting in a sunshower.

Now that the expert have given their two cents, you can now face the day with your head held high, knowing that what you wear or how you sing won’t affect the weather. But remember, whatever the weather, it’s best to prepare for it to ensure your safety.

By: Pamela Avigail E. Jayme

Panahon TV Intern