The Peanuts strip pretty much sums up why I haven’t been able to spend much time at the computer this past week… (Not that I have spent much time digging in the sand – but I have mostly been keeping very still in the coolest spots I’ve been able to find!!)
July beat all kinds of (hot) weather records both in Sweden as a whole and in my town and area. In Borås, on 31st July we had over 33’C in the daytime, and the average 24 h (day+night) temperature was the highest ever officially recorded for our town – 25,6’C. (I know: In some places on earth this is “nothing” – but we’re not used to it!)
Up in the North of Sweden they have got some rain during the past week to help control the forest fires. Down here in the south, August has started out a little cooler, but still extremely dry, with warnings for very high risk of fires. (All open fires and barbequeing strictly forbidden, even in private gardens.) In Borås, we had one clash of thunder followed by a few drops of gentle rain on Wednesday; but that literally wasn’t enough to wet anything. (I know, because I walked home from town in that shower, and I did not even have to change clothes when I got back home, as the sparse drops of rain that fell steamed right off me…)
To give you an idea what it looks like around here just now, here are some photos from my neighbourhood taken during the past week:
The football field close to where I live will serve as an example of every lawn that has not been irrigated.
A little park which is always lovely in the spring when the cherry trees are in bloom, but now…
Dry leaves rattling around on the streets in the wind, making the sounds of autumn (much too early)
The roses in our ‘Central Park’ do seem to be enjoying the sun, though – I suspect these have not been left completely without water…!
10 comments:
this is really sad for you and your country. as I type this our tv is showing Europe with the highest temps on record, showing now is London with fires and people sitting around public fountains because they can't stay in their flats.
We on the other hand have had rain every day this summer. My garden is a mass of weeds.
Wow, this is some seriously brown grass and leaves! You have not gotten any rain because we have been hogging all the rain from everyone else. It has rained for an entire week. We get this weekend off, then rain every day next week. Dams have broken and places are washed away and flooded. The roses are beautiful, so someone is watering them, likely the town. I sure hope there is rain in your forecast!!! Are you able to be cool at home? Did you get my cards?
Germany - especially up north - is experiencing very similar conditions to your country, Monica. Where I live, it is alittle warmer; 37 C today and not cooler than 23 or so at night. We have had at least some rain, not enough to make a big difference, but better than nothing.
This weekend it seems to be Portugal and Spain that are having extremely temperatures, even for them... 47'C in Portugal, I think I heard on the news last night (116,6'F) I can't even imagine how to deal with that! :O
Janet, I wonder if humanity will ever invent a way of "controlling" the Weather??
No rain in the forecast until possibly (??) next weekend (and before that, more heat). Just now, with a respite of somewhat cooler weather, my indoors climate is ok, between 23-25'C (73-77'F). Back on Tuesday (the hottest day) I had 27-28'C indoors (82'F) which is definitely too hot for me. (My personal limit seems to be around 26'C.) On a summer like this it's like a full time job just trying to keep the indoors temperature down... Blinds down + curtains drawn in the daytime; windows and balcony door either ajar or shut depending on the outdoors temperature and the winds at the moment; fans on/off in every room; parasols on the balcony mostly up but sometimes need to be taken down if there is a strong wind (or they like to play the Mary Poppins game and fly away) Also a lot to be grateful for though... Could be so much worse, in so many ways!
Meike, the weather seems to be extremely hot and all over Europe at the moment ... and the rain gone to the south east of the US, judging by the comments from my American friends ;)
We've been having a heatwave here on Lewis - the temperature briefly soared to 22℃ one day. However we did have a beautiful and dry early summer when I had to water the garden plants.
Thanks for the smile, Graham :) We have had a couple of days respite from the heat (yesterday I put on a jeans jacket when I went out, and couldn't remember when I last felt I might need that) ... They say the heat is on its way back today, though. Possibly it may be followed by some rain for the weekend - but I'm not sure I believe in that until I see it!
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