And then it rained...

We've had a few warm days in the UK this week.

This is noteworthy. Although it is technically summer in the northern hemisphere, it was starting to feel as if summer had (once again) passed us by. You might remember last year?

And this year we've had no good weather to speak of. A glimpse here and there but nothing that's stuck around for more than a day, or made me want to leave my jacket at home in the mornings.

But then towards the end of last week we had a bit of sun, and then a bit more, the temperatures rose above 25 degrees C in the Midlands, and this weekend it turned to scorchero! Many people (myself included) rejoiced. Maybe we would have a summer after all. But we should not have hoped it would last. Tempting fate (or the weather gods) is not (ever) a good idea. But I must admit I did hope. And perhaps I was not the only one? So maybe I am responsible for what happened...

Yesterday afternoon, at about 6pm, it suddenly went dark,

very,

very dark,

lightening flared,

thunder rolled,

and then it rained...


It was amazing. Big, huge, humungous drops of tropical or highveld storm proportions. And it poured down. For about an hour. A REAL storm.

I love storms. They remind me of my early childhood, when I would stand under the fir tree in our garden (contrary to ALL advice about what to do in a thunder storm!) and watch and smell the rain hitting the hot earth and the tarred roads and the trees and mixing it all up in a sensation and a particular smell that even now transports me back through time to that phase in my life like nothing else can. And it's a good place to visit every now and again.

Last night, there was no fir tree to stand under - just as well - so I was here, in the moment, and I stood in my apartment with my head out over the balcony to take it in. Awesome.

And this morning there were severe weather warnings out - we have been told to expect more.

I hope it doesn't get as bad as last year again - the flooding was devastating - but I do love a storm. And the fact that they are preceded by the heat. And that nothing smells like the air after a thunder storm. It's very distinctive. Fresh and ozonic and earthy all at the same time. Storms rock!

And don't they look lovely on the satellite map? Apparently we were right under one of those green bits...