Friday, 18 February 2022

A Climate Note.

Storm Eunice is currently roaring mightily and noisily through the Shire, and the order of the day is trying not to think about what might happen any moment. Everything standing in the garden is struggling to remain upright and several pieces of tree branch have already assaulted the living room window with the report of a shotgun. Fortunately, there’s no greenhouse to worry about now because that was destroyed by a similar storm five years ago this month. And also fortunately, the four stakes securing the top-heavy broom bush are holding so far. What I don’t understand is how the birds manage to fly to the feeding tables in conditions like this. They’re so small and fragile. Admittedly, they do seem to be choosing their moments carefully during a little lull in the blast, but it’s still pretty amazing.

The old equinoctial gales used to be a feature of March and October, but storms of this magnitude only happened once every few years. Now we’re getting four to six a year of them, and February seems to be their favourite time to visit.

Meanwhile, both the wild flowers and the garden flowers are nearly all about a month ahead of their normal schedule. Whatever next?

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