The Wild Tail Of The Tornado

Weather - always strange. There was I saying that Wednesday’s storm had left my immediate area relatively unscathed, save for the incredible deluge and the thunder and lightning. The only indication here that there might have been more tornadoes around was when there was a sudden burst of fierce wind towards the end of the storm that lasted only seconds. Otherwise, I had no reason to believe that Wednesday had been as bad as 4 October. As it turns out, it was possibly worse. There were, it seems, at least three separate tornadoes that hit different parts of the island (or at least three tornadoes that precipitated monster storms), and it’s this which seems so strange (in that there was no tornado here), except I guess it isn’t when one considers the nature of a tornado. Whatever, but I also guess that the chances of two such extreme weather events in the space of two weeks would have seemed pretty low. The weather boys were caught napping again, but this isn’t all that surprising as they are yet to install adequate radar to monitor such occurrences.

Inevitably, I suppose, there will be those who attribute these tornadoes to global warming. Some while ago, there was a report that spoke of the possibility of hurricanes in the Mediterranean (as a consequence of climate change), and, while I am personally convinced of the climate-change argument, to make the leap and suggest that these recent events are evidence strikes me as contentious to say the least. Were this pattern to be repeated in successive years, this might be more conclusive, though I sincerely hope it isn’t. A repeat though of this year’s tornadoes would destroy more than just property; it could kill the late-season tourism trade. That said, the contrast this year with last October couldn’t be greater; then it was calm and hot. Just one of those things maybe.

The flooding that accompanied this week’s storms was significant, and of course the metro in Palma bought it again. An audit of the situation with the metro has, meantime, concluded that there is a fault with the drainage system. Talk about stating the bleeding obvious.

Unrelated to the storms, the search continues for Jacqui Tennant, the rep from the Viva Holiday Village in Can Picafort who disappeared while in the mountains of Artà a week or so back. Her sister is now on the island to help and try and find Jacqui or at least find out what has happened to her.


QUIZ
Yesterday - R.E.M. Today's title is a line from a song by? (Unlike many a question here, this is from a far more contemporary outfit.)

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