Some people get excited when they see a big high hover over the country. I definitely appreciate the warm, windless, blue-sky days, but when the weather map shows an intense low-pressure system swirling away in the Southern Ocean, I get really excited.
Take this week's weather map – if Jim Hickey is right we should have snow falling in the hills above the city just about the time you're reading this. Only a few days ago it was T-shirts and jandals and a pre-summer unveiling and token scraping down of the barbecue grills. Now we are plunged back into the winter that we didn't quite get – hopefully with some snow to accompany the hail.
When the lows get squished by highs in the north the isobars condense and the lows get pinned down a bit – enough to slow them up. At that point all they are doing is generating ground swell in the Southern Ocean and that's what surfers in this city thrive on.
So it may be cold and a little bit wild at times, but the payload of swell will turn this coastline into a beautiful playground. If you don't surf, get out and check it out anyway – it's hard not too appreciate the beauty of a dozen marching swell lines looking for a beach to dispense their energy upon.
At Dunedin Light HQ we have been busy putting the final touches on our book: Dunedin Light Seasons. We're at that point now where we can actually see what it is going to feel like and we're excited. Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered a copy (excuse the blatant plug here) ... we're on track to deliver these in October.
See you at the beach ...
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