Tag: flooding

If the rain in the Western Cape could just calm its tits a bit, that would be great

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OK, disclaimers first. I know that it’s autumn. I know that it’s meant to rain from about now through until the end of August if we’re lucky. I know that we need the rain to fill up the dams so that we can have water in the summer. And I know that if it doesn’t rain all in one go, then it will have to rain all the time, and that’s not great.

But…

Another 31mm on a single day?

Is this the way that things are going to work from now on? 4 miserable days in a row, one of them with added flood risk?

I’m just asking so that I can try to adjust to this new normal.
And sort out the waterproofing in my garage.

Or is there perhaps a plan to get all the rain done by June and then have an extra two months of summer? Obviously, that is not going to happen, and it would have a horrific effect on agriculture and wildlife if it did. But an extra 8 weeks of sunshine would please a lot of people. Just saying.

Either way, if thing keep going like this, we’re going to have the dams back up at 100% well in time for next summer.
Whenever that might start.

Quite a bit of rain

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With Cape Town allegedly desperate for rain (except we’re only comparing the dam levels this year with those from last year which followed the wettest winter on record), Cape Town is going to get some rain.

Quite a bit of rain.

Time to light the fire, grab some red wine, slow cook a beef casserole and hide under a duvet.

Not all at the same time, obviously. Incredibly foolish idea. Mess everywhere.

But it is probably best to just check that your gutters are all clear in tomorrow’s balmy 19oC before Friday hits.

This isn’t the first big storm of the season: it’s not even a proper cold front. But actually, the lack of wind (8kph SW) does mean that once the rain arrives, it’s not going to go away very quickly, and thus will keep falling on the same bit of South Africa (Cape Town) all day.

Edit: It is. Forecast updated. Wet and windy.

Don’t say that you weren’t warned.

More research needed

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Here’s an interesting article about the recent (last 10 years) chaotic weather that has hit Cape Town.

Its writing was precipitated (no pun intended) (or was it?!?) ostensibly by the storms that hit in April, after the storms that hit in September, after the drought that hit a few years back.

And since it was published, we’ve had more extreme weather. 200mm of rain falling onto Cape Agulhas last week, rendering that road – and many more – undrivable again.

Look, this is the Cape of Storms, as referenced in the article. But climate change should be making Cape Town drier, but these extreme events aren’t related to the cold fronts that bring the winter rain to our region. These are the cut-off lows (see 6000 miles… passim) which can occur at any time of year – and they appear to have been occurring quite a lot recently.

They’re nothing new. The Laingsberg Flood of January 1981 was due to a cut-off low.

But are there more cut-off lows than previously, or are we just more aware of them? Are these handful of floods just an unfortunate series of severe weather events, or is this what we must be planning for in the future?

Sadly, n just doesn’t equal enough to give us a definitive answer.

As it says, we now need some more information, but given the toll of these floods: whether it being people cut off, having property damaged, livestock drowning or whatever, we need it soon, please.

Day 420 – That weather, though…

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It rained all night and it’s rained all day. It’s still raining. We’ve had 225mm (that’s the whole 9 yards inches) in the last 22 hours – that’s a lot of water – and it’s still banging down out there. Hard.
I’ve drained the pool twice already today: I’m going to have to do it again tomorrow morning.

It does seem that the first three cold fronts to hit the Cape this season have been particularly vicious. And there’s plenty more rain to come in the early hours of the morning.
You know it’s bad when there’s an old guy with a grey beard and a staff leading animals two-by-two towards the harbour. That didn’t happen today, because it’s all just myth and legend, but actually, it wouldn’t have surprised me.

I have been working inside all day and it’s been particularly satisfying to get a lot of longstanding jobs ticked off my list. There’s been some electrical work, plenty of painting, a bit of cooking, some organisation of “stuff”, and some angle-grinding. Barefoot and nylon shorts probably not the most advisable attire for that last one.
Things got a bit stingy and melty rather quickly.
Would not recommend.

And yes, I know I keep going on about this, but the fire has made the whole day bearable. It’s done brilliantly in spreading its warmth quite a long way across the ground floor of the house. It was a good decision. And it’s nice (and sadly uncommon) when you can look at something and really think “yes, money well spent”.

And now, with the boy out and about at Scouts, I’m going to settle down on/in the beanbag and watch a couple of Youtube videos that have been teasing me from my various devices and trying to get me to give up on today’s jobs. They did not succeed, but now with the list so completely decimated (not literally), I feel that I deserve to have a bit of down time.

Day 416 – Some quick details

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Back from Agulhas. All good down there, but lots (and lots) of water.

There’s an A319 under there somewhere.

Fireplace installation promised tomorrow. Finally. I must buy some firewood. (I have some firewood, I just need to buy some more firewood.)

If you’re reading this in hospital, just remember that things could be worse: non-family visitors could be allowed.

Loadshedding is back. And the reasons this time are scary. Ten different breakdowns at seven different power stations. Our electricity grid is literally held together (or not) by thoughts, prayers and aging sticky tape.

And the sticky tape isn’t working.