Extreme weather alert – dream or reality?

VERSION FRANCAISE DISPONIBLE ICI

My name is Bill. I’m a weatherman. I work for the television. As a matter of fact, I do the late evening forecast. Maybe you’ve seen me. Anyway, that’s not important. I want to tell you about last night something strange that happened last night.

I gave the weather as usual : We’ve had plenty of sunshine today, I said, but there is an extreme weather alert of snow for tomorrow. I gave all the details of temperatures, expected snowfall, possible disruptions and so on. Then I advised by encouraging everyone to keep safe and to stay warm. Finally, I said Goodnight.

Forecast done, I was already thinking about getting home before the snow. But then people started coming into the studio. They didn’t normally do that. Some applauded, some laughed, but others were very unhappy.

Snow now, Bill? In the middle of summer? That’s impossible, they said.

Well, I answered, that’s the forecast. We’ll just have to see, won’t we?

And during the night, it did get colder and colder. The sky clouded over, and soon there was not a star to be seen. Then a freezing wind came in, and snow began to fall. Slowly at first, then thicker. And it snowed all night.

In the morning, people woke up and opened their curtains expecting to see the summer sun. But what did they see? Snowflakes falling gently from the sky. Then it stopped. And there was snow everywhere.

A few just smiled, posted videos on social networks and tried to carry on as normal. But nobody could go out. There was too much snow.

Roads were blocked and transport wasn’t working. It had snowed in the middle of summer for the first time on record. Children loved it, of course, and couldn’t just sit inside and look at it, they had to get out there and play. Soon adults joined them.

Families on holiday at the seaside built snowcastles on the beach. They waited for the waves to come and wash over everything they’d built. But the waves were frozen like everything else. They looked around for an ice-cream shop but there was no ice-cream in sight, only ice. Ice and snow, that is.

It got dark early for some reason. Nobody seemed surprised and simply accepted that it was time to dream of snow falling on snowmen and snow women and snowchildren.

I gave my late forecast, as I do every day. I finished by saying : There is no prospect of a thaw for the moment. And, until the snow melts, it is important to keep warm and look after each other. Then I gave the helpline number and said goodnight.

Those who woke up during the night all looked outside to see if the snow was still there. It was. Then they couldn’t get back to sleep. Some sat looking at their screens and watched snowy pictures relayed by special cameras. Others made themselves a warm drink, and then sipped it gazing out at the strange white snowland they now lived in.

Nobody spoke. Nobody said a word. We were now in a land under the spell of a snow magician who didn’t care if it was supposed to be summer.

Then, suddenly, a familiar voice said : Bill, you’re on the air in five minutes.

Do you know what? I’d fallen asleep in front of the air conditioner. Rubbing my eyes, I looked at my script for the real weather forecast. Not a snowflake in sight. In fact, it was hottest summer on record and there was an extreme weather alert.

Daytime and night-time temperatures were tropical, with hardly any rain except for the torrents which came down with thunderstorms. The dry spell had turned into drought with the risk of wildfires breaking out all over the place. 

There is no prospect of cooling for the moment, I would say, and it is important to stay in the shade and to drink plenty of fluids. I would finish by reminding viewers of the helpline number and saying goodnight.

The real forecast suddenly looked stranger than the one in my dream. And it’s not over yet. There’s no point in rubbing our eyes in disbelief at yet another heatwave, because it isn’t going to go away. In fact, it’s just beginning to make itself feel at home.

People used to love heatwaves in the summer, but the temperatures were bearable then. Not anymore. Something has gone terribly wrong.

Are summers too warm? Are winters too cold? Be careful of the weather you wish for. You just might get it.