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| A typical daily temperature reading in the car this week |
Uncomfortably hot throughout the week, ‘locals’ resorted to using umbrellas to protect themselves from the blistering rays of the Aussie sun, air conditioners worked overtime in offices across Sydney, and sleep deprivation became the norm as residents twisted and turned in their beds, unpleasantly overheated and soaked in sweat.
My past four years of summers in Sydney have generally ranged from fairly warm to stinking hot, and I’ve come to see myself as someone who relishes this extraordinarily extreme environment. In fact, prior to this week’s heatwave, it occurred to me that I might even be growing immune to the kind of intense weather found here in Australia or, at the other end of the temperature spectrum, overseas in Canada.
Yet for all my supposed immunity to, and tolerance of, these long, hot Australian summers, this week proved to be a bit of a wake-up call. As we bunkered down in our house on a daily basis with the air conditioning cranked up to the maximum but with little effect and blinds drawn tightly to a close, my little vegetable patch all but died in the garden and any grass we had burned to a crisp. Poor Milo didn’t move from the cold slate tiles in the hallway and we only braved the hot winds and humid air when absolutely necessary. The feeling of breathing in hot, scalding air with the sun practically burning skin upon contact was a thing of nightmares. We could do nothing but hide away from the heat in our shrunken little world, as I acknowledged that maybe I wasn’t quite so immune to these ‘extremes’ after all.
The most extreme experience of the week took the form of a new fun run on the Northern Beaches starting at a surely cooler and more comfortable time of 6.45am. As the starter’s gun went off, I found myself running the hilly and exposed 7km course in temperatures in excess of 30 degrees. I witnessed runners overcome by the heat collapse at the side of the road with St John’s Ambulance staff in attendance and the only thought running through my head was how to determine the point at which I should get off the shadeless road and out of the sun’s unforgiving path.
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| Average February heat across Australia |
A cool and very welcome southerly wind eventually blew through the region on Sunday plunging the temperature from a fiery 32 degrees to a more pleasant 18 degrees in one afternoon. Upon announcing details of the excessively high temperatures, to my amusement both friends and family from the UK and Canada all told me how they would rather be in Sydney enjoying the 45 degree heat rather than in the cold northern hemisphere winter. It occurred to me how it must be impossible to fully comprehend and understand the impact of this week’s heatwave from afar if never having lived here or experienced the fury of an Australian summer before.
And that’s what this was… an experience, albeit an extreme one. As with all the experiences we’ve had on this journey of ours, we sit back and appreciate the uniqueness of the moment. And I’ll continue to enjoy these ‘moments’ as long as they remain just that, because the problem is that now I’ve lived in extreme heat and extreme cold, my tolerance of these ‘extremes’ is all but used up.
So I have a good idea. In the future I’d prefer a little less of both and a bit more balance between the two.
Well, in my country, this is a season of heavy raining,cold wind and very little sun. Malaysia doesn’t have 4 seasons as it is a tropical country but sometimes raining could get a litte bit too much. I think, right now the weather changes is unpredictable.
My advise to you my friend is drink a lots of water and use sunscreen everyday. Stay safe, friend. 😀
It’s always rather hot here in the Seychelles, around 27-30 degrees. Thankfully, it’s the rain season right now, with some very wet weekends.
@little_starladz – Well, you enjoy that heavy rain and cold, and I’ll make the most of the sun! And I am definitely using that sunscreen everyday – I’ve made the mistake of forgetting that in the past, with bad results 🙁 Cheers!
@dave – The Seychelles? Enough said. Have you got room for a two little ones there? 🙂 We could do with some rain here in Sydney – the garden is yellow where the grass has burned under the sun’s glare – however, we always seem to get our share of rain so it’s only a matter of time. Hope to see you in the Seychelles soon!
Northern readers are now offering to swap places with me! I’m sure a lot of them visit my blog for the contrast!! It’s interesting how infrequently Aussies actually experience the temperature averages, isn’t it? And yet that’s what visitors expect to get!
Happy travels!!
@Red Nomad Oz – I’m sure they do! No such thing as a temperature average here, I’ve come to realise. Just extreme fluctuations. Family came here 2 years ago and we were in the midst of 45 degree temps… I think they are still recovering from the shock!
47C!! That’s like the temperature in Dubai in summer, like right now. 🙂
@Grace – It’s hot, eh? Thankfully, we only got those temperatures for a few weeks. I actually prefer this time of year (winter) when it drops to about 20 degrees and we get clear, blue skies then cold nights and colder mornings. It won’t heat up for a few months yet. Enjoy that Dubai heat 🙂