Tag: weather

You done now?

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Probably because I suggested that last weekend might have been the first weekend of summer, the South Atlantic, in an entirely successful bid to prove me wrong, threw one more big winter storm our way. It came through early on Sunday morning and stayed throughout the day, causing instant cabin fever amongst the junior members of the 6000 clan.

It wasn’t like that on Saturday.

We fed ducks, climbed trees, bounced on bouncy castles and generally had a lot of fun despite not smashing any plates before Daddy headed south beyond the Lentil Curtain and won some fabulous prizes in a pub quiz. All good.

Sunday was less fun and the only trip out of the safety of the house was to stock up on essentials at Constantia Village, where the vast array of homemade garden ornaments on sale by the roadside had been scythed down by the vicious northwester and were now a pile of homemade garden ornaments on sale by the roadside.

From the photographic evidence above, it would appear that in order to survive this sort of weather, you needed to be a stylised pelican. More accurate representations of South African ornithological highlights were doomed. Especially the heron on the left.
We’ve had more of the same hefty meteorology today and while I enjoy such bleak, downright elemental conditions, I’m completely ready for some sunshine now, please.

Thank you.

Off out

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I’m off out for the monthly Molton Brown Boys dinner this evening in some of the filthiest weather Cape Town has seen in weeks.

On occasions like this, it’s hugely important to remember that this is just a passing cold front and winter – which has only really just begun – will all be over in a few weeks time. This thinned sunset taken in Noordhoek in February will hopefully serve as a reminder that better days lie ahead.

Right. Now I’m going to try and find where my car has floated off to.

Models of Perception

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With the World Cup just 19 days away, we have had a utterly superb spell of weather in Cape Town. Lest you forget, since we are in the bottom half of the world, geographically speaking, the tournament is going to fall right in the middle of winter here. And, since probably the biggest medium-term benefit of hosting 31 countries and the entire world’s TV audience is the opportunity for everyone to see what a great place this is to visit, the weather could play a huge part in the world’s perception.

While Jo’burg has the official broadcast centre, many individual networks, including the influential BBC and Sky Sports, are choosing to base their anchor teams in Cape Town. It’s a decision that they may regret and so may we.
When you choose to base yourself in a glass box about 200m from the South Atlantic Ocean in the middle of winter, you’re taking a big chance. If the weather is like it was today, you’ve hit the jackpot as the sun goes down with peachy-orange goodness and illuminates the City Bowl for a winning backdrop.
But we’ll be VERY lucky to get away with that on each of the 31 days of the competition. In fact, I’d go so far as to say there’s absolutely no chance of 31 peachy-orange specials. If we’d held it in January, we’d be sorted. But no – apparently that would have clashed with the domestic seasons in Argentina, Brazil, North Korea, Denmark, Germany, South Africa, Ghana, Uruguay, France, Paraguay, Portugal, Turkey, Spain, Australia and Japan, to mention but a few. And Turkey didn’t even qualify.

But I digress.

The fact is that the weather in Cape Town is far more likely to be bloody awful. Grey, wet, cold and windy. Like it was last week. The BBC’s rooftop fishtank is going to be rather exposed.
If it even survives.  
Last week’s miserable meterology almost put me off living here. And if it rains like that during the World Cup (and it might), I sense very damp and very despondent fans and possibly even postponed or abandoned games. And Gary Lineker taking the p!ss.
All of which is going to put viewers off Cape Town and South Africa as a potential holiday destination.

Guys, it’s still not too late for my big sponge idea.

Half a world away…

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A couple of photos taken this morning.
One of mine, taken in Cape Town, featuring my boy and False Bay:

And one of my Dad’s, taken in Sheffield, featuring his back garden:

And although for many it might seem to be a no-brainer, I’m actually struggling to decide where I would rather be right now…

Nice weather…

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…for ducks.


Bigger duck photo

Anyone who was foolish enough to believe that spring has arrived in Cape Town was put firmly in their place by a grey day packed full of precipitation. Although I’m now fully moved into my new study, I am yet to actually enjoy the view of the Constantiaberg mountains as I was promised, since they have been covered in cloud all week.
Unless someone has stolen them. This is, after all, South Africa. Although a quick look at the recently released crime statistics shows that our “precinct” (for that is what they are divided into) is safer to be in than at any point since 2003. Well done SAPS.

All of which is very nice.

But I’m digressing when what I really want to do is go to bed and watch some Spanish footy.