Opinion
No, you’re not imagining it. That round shiny thing in the sky is the sun
Robyn Willis
Lifestyle EditorThere’s a saying, mostly attributed to the Germans, that goes “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing”.
I was contemplating this last week when, in my harried preparations to leave the house for the office, I reached for my gumboots. “Ha,” I thought, “I’ve got this wet weather thing sorted.”
Like most Sydneysiders, I’m glad to see the back of this “rain event” which, the Bureau of Meteorology reports, has resulted in four or five times the usual dump of water for this time of year. Instead of an average of 80 millimetres for the month, we’ve had 370 millimetres as of last Friday. It’s a relief to see the sun.
Fun in the sun on Bondi Beach as the rainy weather lifts on Saturday.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
Senior bureau meteorologist Angus Hines says we’re in for a week of clear, sunny skies. Rather than rain, though, it will be windy.
“At least it’s something different,” he quips, from the relatively sunny climes of Melbourne.
Indeed, Melburnians can afford to be smug right now. As Sydneysiders we’re unaccustomed to such long stretches without feeling the warmth of the sun on our skin. Based on records from 1991 to 2020, our sparkling jewel of a city averages 110 sunny days a year, although that jumps to 200 days if you include partly cloudy days or those with sunny breaks.
Usually in August, we can expect an average of 7.1 hours of sunshine, but according to rainfall data, so far this month we’ve averaged a depressing 4.2 hours per day.
No wonder we feel short-changed.
Still, it’s blessed relief to see the sun, with temperatures expected to creep into the low 20s by Wednesday. After weeks of frayed nerves among commuters – if I hear “the 7.14 service to the City Circle will not be stopping at this platform” one more time – battling growing mountains of dirty laundry, and delivering soggy kids safely to school in costume for Book Week, it’s worth reminding ourselves that there are some sectors of the workforce where clear skies will have a transformative effect.
Paramedic specialist for the NSW Ambulance Service, Marty Nichols, says the consistent downpours have been a slog for crews.
“Whenever we get significant weather like rain, straight away it makes driving more hazardous for us and other drivers on the road, particularly around visibility and braking distances,” Nichols says.
“When we arrive on scene we’re doing everything in a raincoat but when you add another layer of clothing, everything gets awkward and more difficult.”
Where injuries have occurred outdoors, Nichols says priorities shift from treating the patient’s pain immediately to getting them out of the weather quickly.
“Normally, we would treat your pain where you are but when it is very wet, we try to get you back in the ambulance to get you out of the rain because we know a lot of medical conditions get worse when the patient gets cold,” he says.
Pedestrians in Sydney have endured plenty of rain this week.Credit:
It does tend to put one’s gripes about broken umbrellas and crowded, humid buses into perspective.
But not everyone has been having a bad time. For a select group of businesses, the past few weeks have contributed positively to the bottom line. Outdoor clothing specialists Kathmandu has seen “plenty of interest” in their rainwear this season, according to a spokesman, especially in NSW.
Dog coat retailer Houndsome’s sales have doubled over the autumn/winter period compared with last year. Co-founder Lib Schlyder says sales usually “peter out” by August, but their waterproof range has seen sustained interest thanks to the wet.
When everything feels damp and is starting to smell, perhaps keeping the family cavoodle dry for their constitutional makes sense.
“A well-fitted coat keeps a dog warmer, drier and more comfortable, which means they’re happier to actually get outside and do what they need to do,” says Schlyder. “For owners, it means less towel-drying, fewer baths, and far less mud tracked through the house.”
Which brings me back to those gumboots. As it turns out, they have sprung a leak, with the upper of one boot separating from the side. Not ideal for sloshing through the unexpected thoroughfares of water that appeared between my home and the train station, but at least enough to keep me (mostly) dry up to knee height if I tread carefully.
And while the bureau predicts blue skies this week, brace yourself. Hines says it’s not time to shelve the brollies and boots just yet.
“If we look at a longer range seasonal outlook for spring, we return to an above-average chance of a wet spring where it will be wetter than usual.
“I don’t think this is the last time we will be talking about significant rainfalls this year.”
So don’t get too fond of that shiny ball in the sky. Maybe take a photo of it.
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