St Medard is similar to St Swithun in England in that if it rains on June 8, it will then rain for the following 40 days, until July 17. (source: SME - Jozef Jakubčo)
One of the most well-known pieces of weather lore in Slovakia is about Medard, which goes like this: Medard's drop will be dropping for 40 days (Medardova kvapka 40 dní kvapká). It refers to a phenomenon where wet Atlantic ocean air brings precipitation to Slovakia, combined with a decrease in temperature.
Is it still valid, though? That is the question that hydrologist Michal Danko from the Institute of Hydrology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences recently posed, and he has come up with an interesting piece of scientific information.
"The general public often mentions this weather lore, and since we have fairly accurate rainfall data, I wanted to see how accurate it is in reality," Danko told The Slovak Spectator.
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Where does the lore come from?
According to the hydrologist, the weather lore probably comes from France, where Medard (456-545), the bishop of Noyon, lived. He is the patron saint of farmers, shepherds, wine makers and good harvests.
According to legend, he was caught in a storm as a boy, an eagle swooping down and protecting him from the rain with its wings. This is why he became associated with rainy weather, especially at the time of hay drying. Medard's feast day is celebrated on June 8, in a period that was crucial for harvesting.
St Medard is similar to St Swithun in England in that if it rains on June 8, it will rain for the following 40 days, until July 17.
The validity of this is what Danko set out to investigate. Since he works at the institute's Liptovský Mikuláš branch office, which handles detailed hydrological research and has kept their own records and measurements for the last 35 years, it allowed him to evaluate the weather lore. There is no similar data for other areas of Slovakia.
