Weather 2008

[Anthony Darby]

They say it takes a day for every hour difference, but if you give it a couple of days and ease yourself into UK time you can do it much more quickly? Half the UK/World suffers 'jetlag' on a Monday because they sleep late at the weekend!!!

[mark smyth]

sleeping late is the best way during dull winter days

[Maggi Young]

Some of us are just happy to sleep at all!
This time difference is so confusing to me.....I checked an online Time zone site... saw that it said what I thought to be the case with times here versus NZ and Singapore.... then tried to square that with what Ian said in his emails or phone calls..... worked okay for NZ but when I tried to make the calculation between NZ/ Singapore and Singapore/UK, then double check that I had got that right by going "backwards"... I was in a fine muddle. Didn't know which way was up. Attempted to clarify my confusion in telephone call with good friend Alan Newton ( who, incidentally, looks a bit like he could be Dave Toole's long lost brother) this only resulted in Alan falling off his end of the phone line in fit of the giggles and his explanations, when he was able to voice them, did not help one jot! In the end I managed to confuse him as well, which was a nice change since it is usually the other way round. 

[t00lie]

If Alan and i are alike in looks and he also prone to serious 'fits of giggling' then that confirms it for me Maggie--he surely must my long lost other brother.

Cheers Dave.

[Maggi Young]

Yes, Dave, I think it must be true. Got a photo somewhere.... bear with me......

[Maggi Young]

Now then, what do you think.....

[Maggi Young]

perhaps here you'll see it.... he wears strange clothes sometimes, too 





Alan may carry a little more weight muscle than you do, Dave, but the resemblance is there for me!

[Lesley Cox]

I think you mean a little more muscle weight, than Dave, Maggi.

[johanneshoeller]

EMMA was here!
Before and during the hurricane (more than 220km/h).
The last pic shows my house before the storm.

[Lesley Cox]

Good heavens Hans, that is shocking. Are you, yourself and your family quite safe and well? And was house damage very bad? I'm assuming there's something left as you still have computer access. But let's have some reassurance please.

On my own behalf, I'm happy to say we've had steady rain for 36 hours and every drop is a blessing. It has been widespread through the whole country but as is always the case, the drought areas which need it most, have received least.

There's a distinct drop in temperature too, and 14 is today's predicted high, down from the 20s and 30s of recent weeks. I think autumn has arrived though there is colour on very few deciduous trees yet. I noticed yesterday that Nothofagus antarctica was speckled with butter yellow instead of solid green.

[Maggi Young]

Poor Hans, with avalanches and hurricanes, he is the Forumist with the most dangerous life, is he not?
Our best wishes to you and your family, Hans 

[johanneshoeller]

Maggi, we are all ok! The house is situated under a rock face and so protected (see the last pic). No problems for us and the garden with the greenhouses. But in the nearby village many roofs were destroved.

[David Nicholson]

Hans, glad to hear that you did not suffer any damage. We had very strong winds on Friday evening/Saturday morning but I had no idea that they were part of a hurricane.

[mark smyth]

Was our high wind due to the hurricane? I was tidying the green house when the wind hit. I was too scared to carry on

[Anthony Darby]

We had high winds last week. I left the GH doors open but no damage. Snow this morning though, and that's after taking the tortoises out of hibernation on Saturday! [They won't be out of doors until the cricket season starts.]