They are still only tuning up ... and only a bit off key

Ah, the delightful sound that indicates that there might be life after the buildup ...


If you haven't lived in the tropics or even tried to survive the buildup to the refreshing rains of a tropical wet season; you may wonder what on earth I am rambling on about.


If you have been though a buildup, or experienced what the indigenious people of Kakadu say - when Gunumeleng changes to Gudjewg; you might have worked out what I am hinting at.


Today we had a lovely storm blow through, bringing about 13mm of cooling rain, which almost instantly dropped the temperature from a hot 31 degrees C to a pleasant 22 degrees C. It crept up a little later, but it has remained overcast and so appears cooler.


And tonight there is the beginning of the warming up of the Orchestra of the Green Tree Frog.


It will get hot again before the monsson decides to bless us with its presence; but while there is teasing rain there is hope of sanity.


And a little humour always helps, don't you think?



















Thank you www.swamp.com.au

Darwin was (almost) coolest city in the country

from NT News January 30th, 2009

Darwin may be coolest city
DARWIN could be about to set one of the most unusual records in the city's history.

There is a possibility Darwin could be Australia's coldest - yes, coldest - capital city today.

As the southern states are hit by a once-in-a-generation heatwave, the monsoon has seen mild temperatures in the Top End. The mercury is tipped to reach just 29C in Darwin today, the same temperature predicted in Sydney and Hobart. All other capital cities are expecting temperatures above 30C with 43C predicted in Melbourne and 42C in Adelaide.

Not a headline we would normally expect to see in Darwin, ever. It’s usually, hot, hot, hot.

We just got pushed out by Brisbane, experiencing some overcast weather which kept the temperature down.

Well, we were almost cool … my mother used to say “almost isn’t even half”, so she would not have been impressed!

The weather has been pleasant though … quite a relief from that earlier in the season.

Naked in a shower

Recently, I was talking about moulting trees. Now, the rains have arrived; whether it will be for a short visit or stay for awhile, we will have to wait and see. The weather boys and girls tell us that the monsoon is just off the coast. It has been raining, from heavy to drizzle, since Sunday, the frogs have been singing harmoniously and everything feels damp. But it is definitely cooler! Funny people that we are, we now run the airconditioning to prevent everything turning mouldy. Blue suede shoes are not back in fashion just yet!

From the Bureau of Meteorology this morning:

Issued at 5:00 am CST on Tuesday 16 December 2008

Current Weather Summary and Future Developments:
A monsoon trough lies just off the north coast with a tropical low located in the Timor Sea. The low and trough are expected to develop, with squally monsoonal showers and storms about the north and west coasts over the next few days. Widespread showers and storms elsewhere in the north. To the south, fine with a dry southeast flow, tending warmer northerly with storms extending down the western border from mid-week ahead of a trough approaching from the west.


Meanwhile, back to those trees. It would appear that they love the rain cooling their new skin. This is the eucalyptus alba (salmon gum) which has finished moulting.












To the right, see the flowers of the melaleuca (paperback or ti tree) which is also showing the appreciation of the rain. If the rain continues for a period of time, its combination with high tides, will see the tidal creek (behind the trees) right up to the path.









In the next photo, you can also see a cycad looking appreciative of the rain.

The storms, they are a’brewing

About three weeks ago, I posted about our pre-monsoon storm season.

http://veronicas-secrets.blogspot.com/2008/11/gunumeleng-next-season-in-year.html

This afternoon, I was out and about in the car and couldn’t resist taking some photos of the afternoon cumulonimbus storm cloud build up.

We have had some storms, which have been a pleasant, if short lived, break from the very humid and hot conditions we have been experiencing since the beginning of November. As I sit here writing, at just before midnight, the thermometer still sits on 29.6˚C, and I won’t tell you the humidity. All I can say is thank God for airconditioning! However, we haven’t had a lot of rain and the personalities are still strained. This doesn’t help as we move towards Christmas, with its added hustle and bustle as people plan their Christmas activities. For some, it will be a break away to join family in slightly cooler climes, or a holiday break in one of our neighbouring Asian countries.

Enjoy the cloud photos; hopefully, soon they will deliver some cooling rain.