Thursday, 31 August 2023

Passing late-summer storm

Weather's strange; yesterday we had 'Augtober' - after the recent heatwaves, a sudden cooling; autumnal mist shrouded the tops of Warsaw's tallest building - greyness and damp permeated the air. But today, summer returned; sunshine, heat, growing humidity, and by the late afternoon, on the horizon - glowering storm clouds. Time, then, for a stroll - it may not be a long one, I fear.

Below: a semi-fast service from Warsaw to Skarżysko-Kamienna approaches Chynów, locomotive at the rear. This train does Warsaw West-Chynów in 35 minutes.The sky is beginning to bruise...


Below: the DK50 as it runs through Nowe Grobice; rain clearly visible on the western horizon. However, it's the dark streaks off to the right that I need to worry about; the wind's in the north-west.

Below: a downdraft is whipping up a sudden wind and the heavens are just about to open. I reach for my waterproof Gore-Tex jacket in my rucksack.

Below: the storm at its peak, ul. Miodowa, Chynów. Click to enlarge - note the white streaks, and the white dots on the track - hailstones. Mercifully, the deluge was as short as it was intense. It passed quickly, as hail can do damage to orchards full of ripe fruit.


The storm has passed, taking no more than five or six minutes to do so. I'm at the edge of a cornfield (first time I've seen corn planted within walking distance of my działka).


After supper, time for a second walk. The sky had cleared, the low sun falling on the forest on the orchard's edge.


Below: the sun dips to the horizon, Grobice, looking towards Chynów. No trace of the storm that passed through.


Below: approaching Sułkowice station, half an hour after sunset.


Below: blue moon, harvest moon, super moon... the second full moon of August. I watched it rising above the farm buildings east of Sułkowice, by the time I was back in Jakubowizna it had fully cleared the horizon and the telegraph wires. 16,600 paces walked today.


This time three years ago:
"Sod the locals" 


This time five years ago:
The balance between the spiritual and the material

This time six years ago:
End of August, end of summer?

This time seven years ago:
Pavement for Karczunkowska... a bit at least

This time eight years ago:
Gold Train update (the hope! the expectations!)

This time ten years ago:
Poland post the Rubbish Revolution

This time 11 years ago:
Poland's most beautiful street

This time nine years ago:
Getting to grips with phrasal verbs

This time 11 years ago:
What Putin wrote about Molotov-Ribbentrop

This time 15 years ago:
Summer Sunday in the city

This time 16 years ago:
Last bike-ride to work of the summer

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