Archive for Weather
Here We Go Again
Posted by: | CommentsI saw on US news today there is a Cat 5 Hurricane to our west. No sign of it from Guatemalan news, except MayaParadise:
Despite sea surface temperatures only in the low to mid-80s, we have seen that upper level wind shear and other factors are producing conditions that are very conducive to cyclone formation.Right now in the Eastern Pacific we have Category 5 Hurricane Celia located southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California. Celia is moving west so is not a threat to land. Right behind Celia and following roughly the same track is Category 2 Hurricane Darby, located about 400 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, also moving west. Darby is bringing rain to southwestern Mexico but is not a serious threat to land.Directly off the Pacific coast of Guatemala and El Salvador is an area of low pressure and strong disorganized thunderstorms. The National Hurricane Center gives this system a 60 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression in the next 48 hours. This system poses an increased rain threat to Guatemala as it is moving very slowly west northwest at only 10 miles per hour. Conred has issued an Orange Alert regarding this system.
I’m ready for the dry season…
Is the Rainy Season Over Yet?
Posted by: | CommentsI feel like a kid asking, “Are we there yet?” It’s rained non-stop since yesterday afternoon, with no sign of letting up. Santiago claims there’s this low pressure system hanging off the coast that might cause it to rain for a week. It’s been so gray, overcast and rainy, even I feel depressed. I ran into a Welshman in Antigua who opened a new restaurant recently and he commented that this is what it’s like in England all the time. No wonder they’re so prickly.
The callejon in front of my house is flooded, the drain on the edges of the street in front of the residenciales is full of trash and after the third use my umbrella of mercado origin now looks more like a bicycle wheel with a handle. A well-to-do businessman I know here commented, “I usually leave town for my island this time of year”. I’m starting to wonder if I shouldn’t become a Rain Bird myself and head to the Yucatan in June each year.
Oh, and top o’ the mornin’ to ya.
The Rain Is Here
Posted by: | CommentsIt rained hard for about 20 minutes today. Locals tell me the signs are that it will be a very heavy rainy season, unlike last year. I bet farmers around the country are thrilled!
Another Gorgeous Day in Paradise
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday I was out and about and was remarking to a friend just how gorgeous the weather was. Of course, it usually is. The rainy season is just around the corner and I’m perfectly aware it could rain all day every day for six months (like I’m told it did in 2008). However, since October virtually every day has been a perfect day. I often wonder if the weather alone isn’t reason enough to live here; where else on earth is there weather as perfect for human life?
This morning is a perfect example; it was a little cool (60ish, nothing to justify the parkas the locals are wearing!), but accompanied by tons of sun. So much sun in fact, that the 10 minutes I spent on the terrace with my coffee and my imaginary WSJ might have led to a slight sunburn.
This is Holy Week after all, and we all have our crosses to bear.
Cold & Windy
Posted by: | CommentsThe weather here has been unbelievably cold and windy the last week. During the daytime the sun is shining and it’s nice, but once the sun goes down behind Fuego it’s chilly, and late night and early morning it’s downright cold. We’re talking a bone-chilling 43F. Even with my year-round hibernation/draught/famine protective layer I’ve been getting cold.
Today I was out on some business and Santiago’s pants looked a little tight. Then I saw his long underwear peaking out from under his pant cuff. That should give you some idea of just how chilly it can be with the wind blowing.
Moral of the story: When you visit or move here, don’t leave all your warm clothes in the states, because you’re going to need them here occasionally.
November Rain
Posted by: | CommentsI thought of that Guns ‘N Roses song yesterday, then Maryann wrote and introduced herself and her blog, and her most recent post caught my eye:
It has been raining all day. Gray, drizzly rain. This comes after a week of afternoon and evening rainstorms.
What makes it worse is that this is NOT the right season for rain. The rains should have ended a week ago at the latest.
And even worse: During the proper rainy season, there was very little rain, which means most of this agricultural country experienced a horrible drought and is in the midst of a food crisis. (Crisis as in people in rural areas are starving or living on international food aid.) And the late-season rains don’t help the farmers; they just make harvesting whatever’s there more difficult.
I think it has rained every day for a week. And it’s raining at night, in the morning, in the afternoon, just about any time. It’s cold too, we’re talking a bone-chilling 55F kind of cold. Even I have been reduced to long sleeves and the occasional jacket. I think I’m finally going to pickup some firewood.
I’m confused, because it never really rained like this during the ‘rainy’ season, and it’s supposed to be over now. I guess it’s El Nino/La Nina/Global Warming/Global Cooling.
Related: Sometimes when it’s cold and you want a nice warming drink, Amaretto is hard to beat. However, DiSaronno is extremely expensive here and the copycats leave a lot to desire. Well, last time I was at HiperPaiz I came across a brand I’d never tried before. It’s called Luxardo and is only 120Q for a 750ml bottle and is quite good. Mix it in with your morning coffee for a nice treat.
Muy Frio
Posted by: | CommentsDamn, it’s cold! Two days ago I had to take a shower in the evening because I got hot and sweaty walking around Antigua and last night I woke up cold and had to put stretchy pants on. The rain moved in last night about dark (to the great misery of all the fiambre celebrants), and it got downright cold. I’m talking cold as in, 60, maybe even 59 degrees F. If it gets much colder I’m going to have to hire someone to start hauling firewood in here and channel my Boy Scout days (made it to ‘Life Scout’, then discovered females and quit), and build a fire.
It’s 63F now, overcast and I’m still bundled up and freezing. Have I gone native all of a sudden? Will I be wearing a hat and sweaters everywhere from now on, like my other long-time expat friends?
Of course, there is the chance that the combination of Cipro and drying out is causing my body to shut down in advance of death. Wouldn’t that make some people happy?
GuateDrought
Posted by: | CommentsThe Dennetts are reporting that some places in Guatemala haven’t had rain since May. It’s hard to imagine-it has rained almost every day here lately, and even in June and July it rained frequently, but then again if it happens outside of 9×9 blocks in Antigua and it’s not on the internet, I probably don’t know about it.
With many parts of the country reporting no rain since May, Guatemala is facing a food crisis. Several of our projects are in communities that are hardest hit by this. Many important crops have been lost by the drought and people who were struggling to survive are now left without sufficient food to feed their families.
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