Strong winds

One of my favourite albums is Shaka Zulu, by Ladysmith Black Mambazo. On that album is the song "Homeless", also a favourite. The winds last night were very strong; stronger than any I have experienced before during the time we have been in the apartment. They did not destroy our home as did the winds LBM sang about. There was significant house and tree damage around the city and beyond. Our daughters lost electricity supply, and it has yet to be restored for either. To the best of my knowledge no one was injured, although one of my colleagues told of a neighbour who had a tree blown over to crash through the window of her small child's room causing severe distress to child and mother.

The winds did make the building shake; almost like a very mild earthquake. Knowing that wind could make a strong five level building shake was a bit anxiety provoking. It blew out a ventilation grille in one of the car park levels. And toppled a potted pohutukawa on our deck, which plant I rescued. Only for the next big gust to overturn a potted succulent in a large round pot and in the process smash the saucer the pot sat in. 

My photo shows that corner of the deck this morning when the wind had dropped and the rain had briefly stopped also. This evening the weather gods have given us a much more typical April evening as if nothing had been different for almost 12 hours overnight.