And still spring is holding out on us. The chill off the sea means jerseys and even jackets if you are in the shade. If you step into the sun out of the wind, you have to take them all off again because the sun is fierce. Visitors from the northern hemisphere please note: you cannot expose yourself to the sun here in the same way as at home - the ozone is thin and you will burn severely. That is why we can tell you are a tourist; the redness of your arms, legs and back of the neck. When we go north we are told to look out for pickpockets, but when you come to us you must beware of the sun.
Apparently the hole in the ozone layer is the cause of increased surface temperatures in southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Patagonia and Antarctica. Who would have thought? It is also indirectly causing the strong winds that develop in Antarctica to reach higher latitudes, and is probably the reason why we are experiencing more south-westerly storm systems with heavier rainfall and freezing winds, rather than the almost mild north-westerly cold fronts and gentle rain of twenty years ago.
Scientists say that the hole reached maximum size in 2006 and has reduced since then, with some considering that it will have returned to normal density by 2065. I look forward to it.
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