How I wish for bad weather

Andrew Kenny

For the first time in my life, I am wishing for bad weather. Normally, I hate rain and grey skies. When I returned from England to Cape Town its bright light and clear skies – except for winter – were a delight to me.

But this winter, I have been dismayed by one glorious day after another. This is our rainy season but the rain has been pitiful. I am scared of the coming summer.

Cape Town’s drought last year was probably caused by El Nino (a natural phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean). Unfortunately, it has continued into 2017. Now, when our dam levels should be highest, they stand at 37%. They were 61% last year.

How is the Western Cape going to make it until the rains come back? In winter 2018?

I am ashamed I was using far too much water at home. Because my house is tiny (73m2), with only two people, no pool and a well for the garden, I assumed my water usage was small.

Then I spoke to friends and neighbours and found we were using far too much, about 200 litres per person per day.

So we’ve cut back drastically. We use point water for the lavatories. I’ve stopped having baths until our dams are overflowing again. My showers are brief. Dish washing is minimal.

We’re now below 90 litres per person per day – and getting lower.

I’m trying to get rainfall figures for Cape Town since 1850. I’m sure such data exists but haven’t found it.

As far as I can see, the present low rainfall, although unusual, is not exceptional. It’s happened before. This suggests it will happen again, so we’d better plan for it.

Here is an interesting thing. I arrived in Fish Hoek, near Cape Town, as a toddler in 1953. I have been walking through the surrounding mountains and countryside, on and off, for the past 64 years. I’ve never seen the fynbos looking healthier than it does now.

Last week, I went to the West Coast National Park near Saldanha. There I saw the most spectacular display of Namaqualand daisies I’ve ever seen in my life.

It seems the indigenous vegetation of the Western Cape is used to drought and knows how to handle it. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for its food crops, including fruit and wheat, most of them alien.