Unseasonably cold

As the title suggests, the temperatures are well below what we normally experience for this time of year.

I am sitting here at the computer with a dress, leggings and a warm cardigan. I woke up and dressed for a hot day – totally inappropriate, though when the sun does come out it does get really hot. Just not yet.

And swimming – I have only had one so far. It has just been too damn cold. Some years I am swimming regularly from September and by now would have had 40 or 50 swims under my belt.

I see in neighbouring Australia, a forecaster is predicting some parts of the country to become the hottest in the world in the next few days. What a contrast.

Despite the cold here, the ground is dry. Even a day after rain it is dry. The sun is parching when it is out. After all we still have November sun, just not the normal November temperatures to go with it.

My son is right in the middle of avocado pollination. If it gets too cold the numerous flowers just fall off, unfertilized. Whilst he has a good irrigation system in place to combat any dryness, he can’t do much about the cold. Timing is perhaps not so good in this instance.

I am not going to blame climate change on this year’s aberration. After all, the seasons vary a lot depending on which way the predominant wind comes from. This year has produced a lot of westerlies, whereas when northerlies are predominant things are a lot warmer. I think the first year I came here, in 2014, it was a season like this. I had moved from the cold Taranaki expecting things to be a lot warmer but in fact it was well into November before I had my first swim.

One thing that is pretty consistent though, from year to year is that once it does dry and warm up, then we have little rain after that until well into the new year. But even saying that there are exceptions.

I have heard a forecast for us for a long dry spell ahead. It will be interesting to see what unfolds.