How to Read “When thunder roars, the rainy season ends”
Kaminari ga naru to tsuyu ga akeru
Meaning of “When thunder roars, the rainy season ends”
This proverb comes from observing a weather pattern. When thunder starts roaring, the rainy season is coming to an end.
Near the end of the rainy season, the atmosphere becomes unstable. This creates intense thunderstorms. When these thunderstorms happen frequently, summer is about to arrive.
People use this saying when they hear thunder during the rainy season. They also use it when talking about weather changes. It often expresses hope that summer is coming soon.
The phrase captures the joy of being freed from the long, gloomy rainy season. It shows the sensitivity to notice seasonal changes.
Even today, people understand this as wisdom for reading nature’s signs. It’s not just about relying on weather forecasts.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the origin of this proverb. However, it likely came from the deep connection between Japanese weather patterns and farming culture.
At the end of the rainy season, the Pacific high-pressure system grows stronger and moves north. At the boundary with the rainy season front, the atmosphere becomes unstable.
During this time, warm, moist air rises and creates towering cumulonimbus clouds. These clouds produce intense thunderstorms. People in the past learned from experience that when these thunderstorms increased, the rainy season would soon end and summer would begin.
For farmers, reading seasonal changes was a matter of survival. The end of the rainy season greatly affected water management after rice planting and care of summer crops.
In an era without scientific weather forecasts, people predicted weather changes from the sky’s appearance, cloud movements, and how thunder sounded.
This saying connects thunder, a striking natural phenomenon, with the important seasonal milestone of the rainy season ending. It condenses wisdom gained from years of observation.
The sharp observational skills of ancestors who lived with nature created this proverb.
Interesting Facts
Thunderstorms at the end of the rainy season are also called “okurizuyu” (sending-off rainy season). This refers to the final intense rain as the rainy season front moves north.
Thunder during this period differs from spring thunder or winter thunder that signals snow. It’s summer-type thunder caused by developing cumulonimbus clouds.
Meteorologically, the increase in thunder is indeed one sign that the rainy season is ending.
Many regions worldwide experience frequent thunder. However, this observation linked to Japan’s unique rainy season phenomenon represents wisdom specific to the temperate monsoon climate zone.
Usage Examples
- Thunder roared today. They say when thunder roars, the rainy season ends, so summer will be here soon.
- Thunder’s starting again. They say when thunder roars, the rainy season ends. I’m looking forward to it.
Universal Wisdom
This proverb teaches us a hopeful truth. The end of difficult times always has warning signs. Thunder is a violent, rough phenomenon. Yet the discovery that it actually marks the turning point to a brighter season contains deep life insight.
When we’re in difficult situations, we feel like the suffering will last forever. When days without hope continue like the rainy season, our hearts become cloudy too.
But our ancestors saw through this. The most intense signs of change are actually the arrival of a turning point. The sensitivity to see thunder, a seemingly frightening phenomenon, as a sign of hope symbolizes humanity’s positive power.
This proverb has been passed down because it conveys a universal truth. Before change comes, there are always signs. It teaches the importance of observational skills to notice these signs and the courage to accept intense change without fear.
In life too, not missing small signs of change that appear in the midst of difficulty is the secret to maintaining hope.
Through natural phenomena, our ancestors left us the most necessary message of hope for humans. After patience, a new season always comes.
When AI Hears This
Thunder at the end of the rainy season is “energy release” at the moment the atmosphere undergoes a phase transition. In physics, phase transition means the entire system suddenly changes to a different state, like water becoming ice or steam.
The rainy season front is a “metastable state” where cold and warm air masses compete. It’s unstable, like water just before boiling. In this state, neither air mass can achieve decisive victory, and energy gradually accumulates.
When the Pacific high-pressure system moves north, it exceeds the critical point. This is the moment when warm air suddenly becomes dominant.
At this time, the accumulated potential energy is released, generating intense updrafts. Water droplets and ice particles in the rising air collide violently, building up static electricity that discharges as lightning.
What’s interesting is that lightning frequency becomes a barometer showing the progress of phase transition. Thunder at the end of the rainy season is more intense than ordinary evening thunderstorm lightning.
This is because the energy release needed for the entire atmosphere to transition to a new equilibrium state (summer pressure pattern) is large. Without knowing physics, ancient people saw through experience that this “intense thunder” was a sign of a major transformation in the entire climate system.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the importance of observational skills to read signs of change. We live in a convenient information society. But because of this, our ability to observe situations and make judgments ourselves may be weakening.
In work and relationships, there are always signs before major turning points. The busyness before a project starts moving. The subtle change in atmosphere before a relationship shifts.
The ability to sense these sensitively becomes a weapon for surviving unpredictable times.
This proverb also teaches the attitude of “not fearing intense change.” Thunder is certainly a frightening phenomenon. But seeing it as a hopeful sign announcing summer’s arrival makes a difference.
In modern society too, when facing rapid change or difficult situations, if you can view it as a transition period to a new stage, you can move forward with anticipation rather than anxiety.
Listen to nature’s voice and don’t miss small changes. Having such careful observational skills will enrich your life.
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