SINGING IN THE RAIN!

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” - John Ruskin

We have had some very warm weather over the past week, but this afternoon, a storm came over the City and suddenly we had thunder, lightning as well as tens of millimetres of rain being dumped on the City. It was quite amazing to see the afternoon becoming dark and the dark clouds to roll in while suddenly the rain fell and fell. I watched from my office window and observed the pedestrians rushing for shelter, trying to avoid getting more wet. The lightning and thunder caused quite a disruption, but not as much as a lightning bolt that crashed just across the street from my office, attracted by the lighting rod on its tall roof, no doubt.

Flash flooding is certain to have occurred and I think there would have been numerous emergency calls to the fire brigade and the state emergency service. It’s rained on and off since then and trying to get home on the public transport was rather chaotic as trains had been cancelled or greatly delayed. My train was delayed for about 20 minutes and when I finally managed to get on it we were packed in like sardines. Fortunately everyone was quite good-humoured despite the delay and the over-crowding. It was a shared adverse experience and a feeling of fellowship prevailed.

Our water reservoirs that supply Melbourne with water are 35.6% full and we are all hoping for some more decent falls of rain to top those dams up. It is interesting to note that in 1997, our dams were 95% full at the same time of the year. Many more interesting water facts are to be found in the Melbourne Water website, a website I tend to visit often, if nothing else to check on the storage levels of our dams.

I can still hear the falling and have the urge to go out in the garden and stand under the falling droplets, letting it saturate me! There is such a blessing in the falling rain and looking at the green, green garden getting soaked is an especially beautiful sight. Tomorrow we are expecting a maximum temperature of about 22˚C, a welcome relief after the days in the mid-30s we ahev experienced.

weather |ˈweðər| noun
The state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, cloudiness, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc: If the weather's good, we can go for a walk.
• A report on such conditions as broadcast on radio or television.
• Cold, wet, and unpleasant or unpredictable atmospheric conditions; the elements: Stone walls provide shelter from wind and weather.
• [as adj. ] Denoting the side from which the wind is blowing, esp. on board a ship; windward: The weather side of the yacht. Contrasted with lee.

verb [ trans. ]
1 Wear away or change the appearance or texture of (something) by long exposure to the atmosphere: [trans. ] His skin was weathered almost black by his long outdoor life | [as adj. ] (weathered) Chemically weathered rock.
• [ intrans. ] (of rock or other material) Be worn away or altered by such processes: The ice sheet preserves specimens that would weather away more quickly in other regions.
• [usu. as n. ] ( weathering) Falconry Allow (a hawk) to spend a period perched on a block in the open air.
2 Come safely through (a storm).
• Withstand (a difficulty or danger): This year has tested industry's ability to weather recession.
• Sailing (of a ship) Get to the windward of (a cape or other obstacle).
3 Make (boards or tiles) overlap downward to keep out rain.
• (in building) Slope or bevel (a surface) to throw off rain.

PHRASES
In all weathers: In every kind of weather, both good and bad.
Keep a weather eye on: Observe very carefully, esp. for changes or developments.
Under the weather informal: Slightly unwell or in low spirits.

ORIGIN Old English weder, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch weer and German Wetter, probably also to the noun wind.