What was the weather forecast in ancient times?

In ancient times, weather was predicted by observing the sun, wind, clouds, humidity and precipitation.

(1) Observe and predict solar terms and seasons. Archaeologists discovered the oldest observatory site in the world 4 100 years ago at the Taosi cultural site in Xiangfen County, Shanxi Province. Experts speculate that various data show that this observatory was formed at the end of primitive society in China in 2 100 BC. Ancient people used the space between the two columns to observe the sunrise in the east of Tal Mountain, and according to the light shadow of the sun, they could infer the twelve solar terms of a year. Compared with the current lunar calendar time, the seasonal accuracy of solar terms is very high through field simulation observation. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, all countries attached great importance to observing the sky and occupying the Hou. There is a tradition of recording phenology and weather in the solar calendar. Zuo Zhuan recorded many observations about clouds and atmospheric phenomena, and Guan Zi also discussed climate, solar terms and phenology, and clearly put forward the names of five solar terms: Qingming, Daxia, Xiaoxia, Lishan and Dahan.

(2) Wind measurement and instruments. As early as the Yin Dynasty, there was four winds. Later, it gradually developed, and by the Han Dynasty, it was already called Twenty-four Roads. During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, meteorological observation technology also made great progress. Li Zhu, a scientist in the period of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, has a book "Watching Elephants", in which the method of observing the wind at that time was introduced in detail, that is, "Everything must stand in a high and far place and stand five feet tall." Taking chicken feathers as a treasure is extremely important. If you blow straight after the wind, you will occupy it. " The field requirements of anemometer are pointed out, and the structure of anemometer is explained. In the Tang Dynasty, the damage degree of ground objects affected by wind was used to express the magnitude of wind. According to Yi Sizhan, at that time, the wind power was divided into people's grades: first, moving leaves, second, shaking branches, fourth, falling leaves, fifth, sixth, seventh, cutting trees, flying sand or logging, and eighth, uprooting trees. These eight winds, plus two levels of "no wind" and "gentle wind", can be combined into ten levels.

(3) Cloud observation and ancient cloud map. Ancient working people attached great importance to the observation of clouds. There is a saying in The Book of Songs Xiaoya New Nanshan that "the sky and clouds, rain and snow fog are the same", which means that the snow clouds in the sky are uniform. Some people write "Yun Tong" as "Yun Tong", which means red snow clouds. The Song Dynasty made brilliant achievements in science, technology and academic culture, and there were many inventions and academic documents in astronomy and meteorology. Among them, Qin in the Southern Song Dynasty pioneered the method of measuring rainfall and snowfall in Tianchi and the bamboo instruments in the Nine Chapters Classic. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were "observatories" for astronomical and meteorological observation, including the famous Beijing Ancient Observatory and the Jiming Mountain Observatory in Nanjing. In addition, all prefectures and counties also have observation tasks, and all disasters, especially meteorological disasters such as wind disasters and rain disasters, should be presented. In many places in the Qing Dynasty, reports such as sunny and rainy records, rain and snow food prices were regularly broadcast.