TABLE 2.
Selected indigenous rainfall predictions commonly employed in Zimbabwe.
| Indicators predicting a good season | Indicators predicting a poor season | Indicators of when it will rain |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy production of tree leaves | High abundance of (wild) fruit | An early onset of rains is |
| Flower production on the top branches of a mukonde (candelabra) tree | Heavy infestation of caterpillars during springtime | Measured by how early spiders close their nests |
| A stork flying at very high altitude presence of a lot of birds | Late bearing and lack of mukute/muhute (syzygium cordatum) figs in July – September, late maturing of acacia trees along valleys | A bird singing whilst facing downwards from the top of a tree indicates that it is about to rain |
| Westerly winds | Heavy populations of crickets on the ground | - |
| Northerly winds | Strong Easterly winds between July and early November | - |
| Heat waves | Extended winter period | - |
| North-easterly winds | White frogs appear in trees | - |
| Prevalence of whirlwinds | Lots of thunderstorms without rains | - |
| Frogs turning brownish | Early rains starting from early October | - |
| Rain birds making a lot of noise | - | - |
| Butterflies seen hovering in the air from north to south starting in October | - | - |