Brewing Storm

Yesterday's front never reached the back of our house - it remained for a while a ridge of building cloud when I looked out front but it eventually burned off giving way to another warm evening that didn't drop below 28 degrees even in the dark. 

The heat was up again this morning, but about 2pm a cool breeze blew in, noticeably cooler, almost 10 degrees. The sky is grey, the leaves are rustling in the upper branches, a lone helicopter passes overhead in the distance. 

I am listening to Astrud Gilberto singing Once Upon a Summertime in the background - in looking through a stack of old records to see if he wanted any my father picked a album out with this on it. Very 60s lounge sound, excellent for working to. I also had to listen to A Man and a Woman - reminding me of my mother and the records they used to play in the early 70s.  Waiting for the rain. Sort of quiet, sad and breathy female vocal. 

On the news there is flooding and pictures of huge downpours over red London buses. Not here yet. Amazing how localised the weather can be. A sprinkling of rain comes down, enough to feel the prickle on your hot skin but no opening deluge. Its expectant. Just a matter of time. I'm hoping for a huge crack of thunder and perhaps some lightning just as starting point. 

Fat drops come down at great speed. Plink plunking in the pool of water I have keep cool. Time to move indoors except that the cooling hot drops are lovely respite from the recent heatwave. Its like being in the sea in Thailand in the rain. Lovely.

And almost as fast as it started it has stopped. For now.

Front

There’s a hot wind blowing from the west, whipping up the clouds in the upper atmosphere - big and frothy with crisp edges picked out by the sun. It’s the fourth day in a row that has reached temperatures over 30 degrees. Without the air conditioning at the office the hot wind is a welcome respite. 

The cat is hunting mice in the bamboo from next door that juts up against our wire fence. She pokes her arm into the dead leaves that have accumulated and burrows down to see if she can catch them. I can’t see them. I wonder if she is just chasing the wind in the leaves.

Sounds of children playing outside have rung out all day. Heat excitement. 

The slow rumble of thunder rolls through the sky in the distance. Underlying the sound of the urban trains going past, the wind roughing up the leaves, and the distant dual carriageway. Absolutely no emergency vehicles. My neighbour is out, his only presence the click of his cigarette lighter.