Weather or Not?
December 28, 2005 at 6:15 PM
by Ashleigh
Today is one of those crisp clear winter days that I find so refreshing, given our usual quota of grey foggy days alternating with howling wind, rain and hail plus some wet snow thrown in for good measure. The weather never used to interest me and in fact, other than a passing glance when my father moaned about the drought, I don't think I ever paid it much attention at all. That's what living in Africa will do for you...
Fast forward 15 years to living in the Netherlands and take a look at my computer desktop. I have not one, but two weather site windows open in my browser, one in English and one in Dutch. Add a little ticker down on my toolbar telling me what to expect in the next five days, a link here on my blog to weather today in Amsterdam, and you get the general idea!
Weather in Holland is a complex situation! You can have blue skies to rival those of an African summer's day and within hours be soaked in torrential downpours. This isn't only in winter, mind you. I recall a barbecue outside our old apartment block two summers ago which started in 35C summer and ended up in 5C howling wind and rain, with me cooking the meat over the disposable barbecue with an umbrella over the food! There's nothing like a fast approaching cold front to put a damper on your plans!
I imagine part of the reason for my weather-mania is that I spend so much time on my bicycle. Not having a car and needing to get places certainly makes you start watching the weather! The only weather in which we won't attempt to cycle is ice. The cycle paths get gritted last of all (after roads and pavements) in the town we live in and so cycling on the ice can be a rather nerve-wracking affair. I've cycled in snow, sleet, wet snow, rain, hail and of course, wonderful summer sunshine.
Then there's freezing fog. This is surely something dreamt up by the gods specifically to torture those who have to cycle anywhere? You breathe in and it feels like little ice crystals are attacking your nasal membranes (which they actually are) and breathe out and you find that you now have wet the scarf which you put over your mouth and nose to protect you from the ice crystal invasion! Pity those poor souls with beards and moustaches! Perhaps that's why most Dutch men are clean-shaven?
The Dutch seem impervious to the cold, especially their lack of gloves in sub-zero temperatures. But, have the hint of a drop of rain mentioned and all of a sudden top-to-toe ensembles of plastic come out of the saddle bags on their bikes, enrobing them completely from the elements whilst I slog along hatless, hoodless and raincoat-less, completely unprepared for the drop of rain to transform itself into the inevitable downpour.
My wish list now includes a weather station which I have pinned my hopes to as being something that will take the guessing out of weather watching, but perhaps I'd be better off licking my finger and holding it to the wind?
I've reached the conclusion that I can't ever hope to be fully prepared for the weather in Holland!
Photo taken in March 2005 during an unseasonal 50 cm of snowfall!