Visitors looking for information on dam levels and the opening of the Vaal Dams sluice gates should visit Voted’s page here: Dam levels in SA.

What is with all the rain in Jozi these past few weeks? The trouble all this damp, wet moisture is causing is getting ridiculous now.

The roads are a pothole nightmare where they have tar, a mud-bath swamp where they are sand. The traffic lights are failing left right and centre. The moss and mould is growing up the walls. The doors of the house are swollen and don’t open or close without great force.

And whenever there is a few hours respite from the rain, the mosquito swarms gather and attack together to make up for lost time.

We’ve had floods in places, storm water systems are struggling to cope throughout the city, a load of commuters got stranded on a low-water bridge and had to be rescued from the bus by emergency service staff. Sadly, the city has even seen a number of drownings. It’s a mess.

imageimageSince Greg and Bla have put the BBC weather forecast thing in the sidebar of the website (about a week ago) I have only ever seen it showing “Heavy Rain Shower” or “Light Rain Shower” forecasts. Is that really all you have got for us?!

I mean seriously. This is Jozi, Mzanzi! We are not used to the constant wet weather. An afternoon thunderstorm that thunders down for 15 minutes and disappears is what we’re used to. Our summer lives and lifestyles are geared around sunshine, warm evenings, short sleeves, cold beer. Not drizzle and damp.

Joburg is supposed to have an average rainfall in January of around 150mm, with an average of 15 wet days (i.e. days with more than 1mm of rain). And I accept that January is generally our wettest month of the year, but surely there is nothing average about January 2010.

So here’s my question: What’s gone wrong? Is this just a “freak weather” month? Or is this another small signal from Mama Nature that perhaps we have pushed her a light too far?

Something About JoBra

Joseph Branden has made 39 kickass contributions to The BlaBla Blog.

Try Some More BlaBla Goodness