July 11, 2025, 3:37 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Farmers’ proverbs are traditional weather and nature observations based on years of agricultural experience. They link specific calendar days or natural events with typical weather patterns. Some of these proverbs are surprisingly accurate, while others are not. One such proverb is said to predict the weather in August. What’s behind it?
“If the cattle don’t sweat in July, it often thunders and flashes in August”—this is an old farmers’ proverb that suggests a connection between a cool July and a stormy August. Such weather wisdom is based on decades of observations and is still passed down in agriculture and folklore today. But how much truth is there to it? myHOMEBOOK spoke with meteorologist Jörg Riemann from Wettermanufaktur to find out what this proverb is all about.
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What’s Behind the Farmers’ Proverb About a Cool July
“This farmers’ proverb goes back to the Siebenschläfer,” explains the expert. “If it’s cool in July, it should also be relatively cool in August. If the cattle don’t sweat in July, meaning there’s no prolonged period of good weather, there shouldn’t be one in August either,” Riemann adds.
Is This Farmers’ Proverb True?
There are different probabilities with this farmers’ proverb, the expert explains: “In two out of three cases, based on the average for July, warm weather continues in two out of three cases, and cool July weather continues in three out of four cases into August.”
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Since weather always distinguishes between warm and sunny, there is a different probability for a sunny July. “A sunny July is followed by a sunny August with a 75 percent probability,” Riemann adds. Unfortunately, no reliable statement can be made about rain.
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This Is the Weather We Can Expect
By the end of the week (week 28), experts say a low should be over, and a high is on the horizon. According to Riemann’s current forecast, this high should last a bit longer, especially in the south and west. The previous changeable weather of spring and early summer will persist, but the intervals will be longer, the expert explains.
What Does the Weather Situation Mean for the Garden?
A slightly longer high does not mean dryness. In weather forecasts, the average is generally determined. So, there may occasionally be rainfall. Nevertheless, one should prepare for sunny phases and ensure garden irrigation.