Well, first let me say that the weather here is very changeable. Rainy season is just beginning and the rain can come quickly and with fury. In fact, rain is categorised to tell you just how severe it is going to be. "Amber rain" means 30 mm or more could fall in an hour. "Red rain" means 50 mm or more in an hour, and "Black rain" means 70 mm or more. Since I arrived, we have had two incidents of Amber rain. I stepped out of the flat to go to the bus one morning, and though I was wearing a long jacket and carrying an umbrella, I was soaked to the skin in seconds. I held the umbrella touching the top of my head, and by the time I got on the bus, only my face was dry. The rain pelted down, making my shoes into swimming pools for ants. I looked as though I had stood in the bath under a power shower, fully clothed.
When I got to school that day (and changed my shoes, thankfully), one of my colleagues remarked that in the case of Amber rain, kindergarten students are not required to go to school. She told me to watch the news, because if we ever have Black rain indicated, school would be shut. I can imagine that it would be insane to go outside during Black rain. In fact, at this point, I can't even visualise how heavy Red and Black rain must be. The Amber rain I have experienced was intense enough.
The photo above was taken by my parents, who have also experienced Amber rain. It shows a vending machine for umbrellas! Though if you find yourself already caught in any of these coloured rains, I doubt that an umbrella will make much difference by the time you get your money out of your pocket.
1 comment:
This is sort of funny. (sorry). I love rain and I think it would be so fun to get soaked...unless I was going to work.
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