Change

After several days of a heat wave with temperatures in the high 30s the change rolled in yesterday afternoon. Heavy rain overnight has lowered temperatures but not the humidity. The forecast above is for Mittagong about 30 kilometres away but shows that we are in for a variety of conditions in the next few days.

I live in an area where volcanic soils and rain forest were cleared for farmland in the 1800s. The soil is very fertile but opens up with large cracks after a few days of heat. Heavy rain is soaked up as if the earth is a sponge so todays rain is very welcome.

I'm writing this while watching commentary about the effect of cyclone Yasi 2000 kms away. As a former Queenslander I have lived through many cyclones, usually in January and February, but this storm is way beyond anything that I have ever seen. February is beginning with very wild weather.