The already famous Jorge Rey, a young Spaniard in love with the meteorology, gained prominence by predicting the Filomena storm in 2021, and the time, during a time when the Iberian Peninsula faced an alarming drought. It has become a reference in the middle and, on its Youtube channel, already has more than 82,000 followers. Born in Burgos, Spain, Jorge Rey is distinguished by making meteorological predictions without resorting to modern applications or technology, based on the old method of the ‘Cabañuelas‘. One of the most intriguing methods it uses involves interpretation of ant behavior to predict rain.
Among the many predictions he makes, one of Jorge Rey’s most curious is related to how ants react to climate change. It is a traditional method that has no scientific basis, but for centuries aroused the attention of nature observers.
According to Rey, some animals, especially insects, have exceptional sensitivity to anticipate weather changes. In one of his videos, he explains that “ants have an incredible ability to predict changes in time and prepare properly.”
The young meteorologist states that when ants change the location of their anthills by shifting them to higher areas or reinforcing their structures with distinct materials, this may be a sign that the rain is approaching. This idea is based on the concept that many animals can detect subtle variations in atmospheric pressure and moisture, instinctively reacting to protect themselves.
Although there is no proven scientific explanation, observation of animal behavior has always been a common practice between farmers and pastors, who used these signs to predict climate changes and prepare their activities.
As Cabañuelas: A millennial method of weather forecast
The method of Cabañuelasused by Jorge Rey, has deep roots in the agricultural and pastoral tradition, being a system transmitted from generation to generation. This millennial technique is based on observing natural and atmospheric phenomena, including rain, to try to anticipate time behavior throughout the year.
The fundamental idea of Cabañuelas It is that certain meteorological patterns recorded in a short period may reflect broader trends. This type of forecast continues to be used in some rural areas of Spain and Latin America, where farmers, even without access to modern technology, trust these empirical methods to plan their harvests and outdoor activities.
Although Jorge Rey follows this tradition, he himself admits that he has developed his own method, which he has been perfecting over the years, and clarifies that he does not follow Cabañuelas traditional in its entirety.
How the Cabañuelas traditional?
The Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), cited by define as Cabañuelas As a “popular calculation based on observing atmospheric changes during the first 12, 18 or 24 days of January or August, to predict the time over the months of the same year or the following.”
Although it has no scientific validation, this method was widely used for thousands of years, especially in the rural world, where modern meteorology was not accessible. Even today, some older people keep this tradition.
There are different ways to interpret Cabañuelas. One of the most common is to observe and record the weather conditions during the first 24 days of August and, later, to associate each of these days with a fortnight of the next 12 months.
For example:
- The time recorded on August 1 would correspond to the first half of January of the following year;
- August 2 would correspond to the second half of January;
- The 3 August would correspond to the first half of February;
- And so on until the 12 -month cycle is completed.
Despite being a method that is part of popular culture and rural heritage, it has no scientific validation, being only a reflection of the oral and empirical tradition transmitted over the centuries.
Science vs. Tradition: Can empirical predictions be taken seriously?
Modern meteorology is based on mathematical models, satellites and complex atmospheric simulations to predict time with high precision. However, methods such as Cabañuelas And the observation of animal behavior, especially in relation to rain, continue to arouse interest, especially among those who believe in popular wisdom accumulated over the centuries.
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