I have been meaning to post a blog entry for some time now and have had many topics in mind to write about since moving. Here are some items that have been on my mind for the past 2 months:
- Birds
- TV reception
- Washing machines
- Pizza
- Backyards & Bathroom renovations
- Biking
- 2010 vacation possibilities
Today I want to write the weather we have been experiencing lately in Melbourne.
Over the past 3-4 weeks Melbourne has received a lot of rain as well as varying temperatures.
Rain
The rain is a good thing as Melbourne and the state of Victoria has been in a drought for many years. Over the last few weeks there has been lots of rain and at times heavy showers. This has been really good for the garden and greening of grass. It’s a little novel to get so much rain, as the past three years I have lived here, it’s hardly rained.
But despite the rain the dams are still not near the levels they use to be. It has helped though; a few months back the dam levels were around 32-33% and are up to 38% but not where it used to be like 5 or 10 years ago.
The government of Victoria has implemented since late last year a water target each person in a household should use. That target is 155 litres per day and the aim is for each person to limit their water consumption to this target.
Some ideas the government suggest to achieve this are:
- 4 minute showers (in use now for many years in Oz)
- Install 3 star rated water-efficient showerhead
- Purchase 4 star washing machine
- Use grey water or rainwater to wash your car or water your garden
- Grey water can be collected from the shower or your washing machine
Since moving to our new home, we have implemented the following:
- Bought a 4 star front loading washing machine
- Installed a hose from the washing machine to garden
- Installed a hose from the shower to the garden
Since moving to Australia, I have had to think of water as a resource that is very valuable and important part of our daily lives.
Temperatures
In early to mid November, Melbourne experienced a mini heat wave. The temperature got up to the mid-30’s. Since then the temperature has cooled to a mid to low 20’s. But it’s interesting how the weather changes. December is officially the start of summer and it feels more like spring lately, with cool mornings, warm afternoons, and cooling down again in the evenings. Add the rain and it feels like spring or autumn.
But I don’t expect it to last long. January and February will bring the heat. I just hope it doesn’t reach as hot as last February when it was 47 degrees and Victoria had the fatal bush fires.
It’s interesting living in a warm country that gets cool, versus Canada which is a cold country that gets warm-hot.
In Australia the seasons are broken down like this:
Summer: December – February
Autumn: March – May
Winter: June – August
Spring: September – November
My northern hemisphere reader’s I hope you have a mild winter and for my southern hemisphere readers I hope you have a warm-hot summer and not a stinking hot summer.
- Birds
- TV reception
- Washing machines
- Pizza
- Backyards & Bathroom renovations
- Biking
- 2010 vacation possibilities
Today I want to write the weather we have been experiencing lately in Melbourne.
Over the past 3-4 weeks Melbourne has received a lot of rain as well as varying temperatures.
Rain
The rain is a good thing as Melbourne and the state of Victoria has been in a drought for many years. Over the last few weeks there has been lots of rain and at times heavy showers. This has been really good for the garden and greening of grass. It’s a little novel to get so much rain, as the past three years I have lived here, it’s hardly rained.
But despite the rain the dams are still not near the levels they use to be. It has helped though; a few months back the dam levels were around 32-33% and are up to 38% but not where it used to be like 5 or 10 years ago.
The government of Victoria has implemented since late last year a water target each person in a household should use. That target is 155 litres per day and the aim is for each person to limit their water consumption to this target.
Some ideas the government suggest to achieve this are:
- 4 minute showers (in use now for many years in Oz)
- Install 3 star rated water-efficient showerhead
- Purchase 4 star washing machine
- Use grey water or rainwater to wash your car or water your garden
- Grey water can be collected from the shower or your washing machine
Since moving to our new home, we have implemented the following:
- Bought a 4 star front loading washing machine
- Installed a hose from the washing machine to garden
- Installed a hose from the shower to the garden
Since moving to Australia, I have had to think of water as a resource that is very valuable and important part of our daily lives.
Temperatures
In early to mid November, Melbourne experienced a mini heat wave. The temperature got up to the mid-30’s. Since then the temperature has cooled to a mid to low 20’s. But it’s interesting how the weather changes. December is officially the start of summer and it feels more like spring lately, with cool mornings, warm afternoons, and cooling down again in the evenings. Add the rain and it feels like spring or autumn.
But I don’t expect it to last long. January and February will bring the heat. I just hope it doesn’t reach as hot as last February when it was 47 degrees and Victoria had the fatal bush fires.
It’s interesting living in a warm country that gets cool, versus Canada which is a cold country that gets warm-hot.
In Australia the seasons are broken down like this:
Summer: December – February
Autumn: March – May
Winter: June – August
Spring: September – November
My northern hemisphere reader’s I hope you have a mild winter and for my southern hemisphere readers I hope you have a warm-hot summer and not a stinking hot summer.
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