An eerie stillness has settled over the Peninsula. After days of howling wind from the south east, as is expected in November, the past four days have been windless, a gentle drift from the south west. It is almost as though nature is pausing between breaths, having let it all out, and is preparing to inhale again before lashing us with another gale. The clouds have formed and vapourised, formed and vapourised, sometimes as ice clouds high up and at other times almost fog. And intermittently, there is blue sky and the sun, which is currently the most dangerous thing around, scorches down on us with an intensity not experienced in the northern hemisphere, where the ozone layer still protects more efficiently. In between, the drift from the sea is icy, necessitating warmer clothing. In November!
The Atlantic is glassy and pale grey, with no swell, allowing the tuna skiboats to skim across the water at maximum speed, not something they can do very often. On the False Bay side, the sea is crystal clear and the colour of a pale green bottle. You would be able to spot a great white shark coming from Seal Island!
People are starting to wonder what has happened to the weather. It's probably a demonstration of what to expect in the future - the unexpected. In the meantime, we Capetonians can enjoy a respite from the wind and keep our doors and windows open without fear of having the contents of our houses blown out through the back door!
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