Storms

One of my passions is the weather, I love inclement weather, I love watching the skies and I get excited when I know there is bad weather coming. And I absolutely love/am terrified by a good storm.

So in Sydney we are at the start of "storm season". I'm starting to learn the signs - the heavy humidity, extreme heat, a grey tinge in the sky in a particular direction. We've had a storm a day for the last week, and they haven't been too scary, just a lot of noise and rain. But Friday was different, I had a bad feeling, the sky was different, the weather patterns hadn't been the same during the day (am I a weather geek or what?), and it felt like a "bad" storm. And it was. So bad in fact that a man was killed at my local video shop when an awning fell on him. I heard the sirens, just around the corner. Half and hour later it was sunny, but some poor man had just been killed. Just around the corner. Reality check for me - storms can kill, storms aren't just a bit of fun, keep safe and keep inside.

So my neighbour and I decided to have a street christmas party - we live in a lovely wee cul-de-sac that backs on to a public park with a wooden platform, perfect for a party table, drinks and nibblies. Perfect setting for our 4.30pm kickoff. Another hot day, lots of swimming, a bit of getting ready. 4.10pm the first rumbles of thunder and by 4.30pm we were mid storm and it was a big'un. Party hastily shifted inside our small, extremely heavy humid house. 4.45pm, sun out and hot again, but everything soaking so we just stayed on at home.

It's late, The Husband is stuck in Sydney airport with his late flight to Melbourne delayed by hours, and I can hear rumbles of thunder again. Night time storms aren't fun. Time to turn up the TV and eat some leftover party stuff.