Rainy Season: Living in the Tropics

There are a few things mini me and I didn't count on in the move to Florida.  Not bad things, but different.  It almost feels we are 'down under' as the seasons seem reversed -- delightful season is winter and the miserable one summer.  So far this year we have been lucky with some cooling breezes in the evenings ('fresh' as the British weather forecasters exclaim) to make things bearable after long sunny and close/ muggy (ie high humidity) days which leave one sticky, hot, clammy.  If the storm comes midday, well then it just gets "muggier" that is hotter and steamy.  It gets so hot in the direct Florida sun that car dashboards melt.  Must remember to buy one of those auto shades to place against the front windscreen.

We've been having some dramatic thunder and lightening storms late afternoon/evening.  Hubby has purchased a weather alert radio that makes a tremendous and ugly sound if there is a severe storm warning -- only gone off once so far, thank goodness.  But already several houses in the area have gone up in flames after lightening strikes this year.

yes the black line is rain!

First the clouds roll in - sometimes directly overhead with thunder.  Usually a fresh breeze comes with the leading edge of the storm whipping up a mini sandstorm on the beach and tossing the beach umbrellas into the sea.  Then we have sheets of rain ...

See the rain coming off the roof!

which make wonderful ripples and 'dancing patterns' on the water, and some pretty dramatic lightening shows. 

At one point I thought a storm from the North was going to collide with a storm from the South right in front of us.  There was a brave helicopter pilot who navigated his bird through the middle - now up in a helicopter was the last place I would want to be. 

All I have is a point & shoot camera, but with a bit of luck (and a lot of snapping) I did manage to capture the lightening last night (16th).  Five minutes later and all is clear. 

Storms back the next day with severe weather warnings rolling across the bottom of the TV screen with a muted klaxon sound and the weather alert radio screaming.  Must mean more to come .

Look closely for the rainbow