Endless Rain

 Some parts of the world are experiencing extreme drought and all its associated problems - such as fires, melting glaciers, painful heat, starvation. Others are awash in rainfall and consequent floods that destroy crops and livestock, damage property, raise commodity prices, and take lives. Much of Australia now falls in the second category, even in locations that are desert or semi-desert. Many farmers are delighted to receive abundent rainfall after experiencing years of drought, but many others are experiencing abundantly the downside.

Here, in Armidale, we've just had a very cloudy week with abundant rainfall and lower than usual temperatures. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecast temperatures for the week averaging around 20 C (68 F), but in reality we were rather lower than that. Last week's rainfall totalled 78.8 mm (3.1 inches) rainfall. And in 2022 as a whole we have had 1016 mm (c. 40 inches) so far compared with the annual average of 793 mm (or just less than 32 inches). So things are wet right now and the forecast for the next week sees a lot more rain. It's annoying that the sun has gone into hiding!

As usual when it rains like this, Armidale hosts a flood event as shown in the pictures below. Traffic is diverted from low level creek crossings so that traffic jams become more or less permanent - except overnight.

These first pictures show why loew-level creek crossings are closed when the flood is 1 meter deep!

Here a kid's playground on the right is under water.

You can guage from this next phto that the water was flowing fast. that explains why I can't see any of the ducks that inhabot this area. They've gone into hiding.

Would you want to drive through this torrent of water below?

Please, rain, stop for a while so that we can get back to our normal lives!

AS