Homeward-bound goats, 'white horses' and adventurous gulls — all weather forecasters if you know how to understand them

Some unofficial meteorologists say animals are amazing with an apparent ability to sense changes in the atmosphere and impending weather

Get ready for rain if you see the famous Lahinch Golf Club goats heading for home. Picture: @LahinchGolfClub

It’s a fair bet that most people currently enjoying their holidays by the seaside are not looking to the ocean for signs of approaching weather systems.

Our forebears, however, relied on tides, waves and movements of sea creatures to help foretell what the elements were going to do. A recent column on weather lore elicited an informed response from readers — one of the biggest we’ve ever experienced — with much of the feedback centred on the sea.