Much excitement about the weather

I haven’t written anything lately because I figured the world doesn’t need to know about my excessive WoW playing. In short, Kim and I levelled new Horde characters and reached level 80, and are now doing heroic dungeons and beginning to be involved in a few 10 person raids. So, it’s been great, but that’s not why I’m posting.

I’m posting because of the mini-heat wave we’re having in Melbourne right now. Some people get excited about being part of a major world event, like the Obama inauguration or Princess Diana’s funeral. They are seeking to confirm their place in history perhaps. Something to tell the kids or grandkids. I don’t have anyone to tell (or likely will ever) so it’s purely a personal excitement driving me here when I say that I just love these extreme weather events, regardless of how much misery or inconvenience they cause others. I haven’t worked out yet whether I love it because it forces humans to accept that some aspects of our lives are not in control, or whether I like it because I’m a numerical nut who loves to see ANY record be broken, whether it’s the most rain in a day, or the hottest day in Melbourne’s recent history. Probably all the above.

That’s what I’m writing about. Yesterday was 43.4 and today it may even go over 45 degrees centigrade. It looks like the highest in more than 100 years in Melbourne is 45.6 and we won’t break that record, but I can’t remember a 44 in my lifetime, and so I’m deeply enthralled by the events unfolding today. I am scanning the usual Weatherzone Breaking Weather forum with unusual vigilance. I don’t care that train tracks are buckling, mass power failures are a strong possibility, that I’ve only got 2 light beers in the fridge tonight, that I rode my bike to work today and MAY DIE ON THE WAY HOME FROM HEATSTROKE or that everyone else is whinging about bad sleep these past few nights. I want us to smash that record if we can. I want to be able to say to people in the nursing home in 2050 that I remember January 29th 2009 (like I do Feb 4th 2004 when we received 120mm of rain in a 24 hour period) and that I even rode my bike home that day because I was so hardcore!

EDIT:

41.1 @ 12:15pm.

42.3 @ 1:15pm.

43.3 @ 2:15pm.

43.0 @ 3:15pm

43.4 @ 4:15pm

And the cloud coverage commences – so, third hottest day in 100 years with 44.3 @ 3:24pm. Yippee!

Further edits:

45.1 today (next day) 113.2 F – second highest in 153 years. So, I’ve just witnessed the second and third highest temperatures in living memory. I’m pretty jubilant.