Weather

You would think living on an isolated island would mean that the weather would be monotonous.  Maybe some rain, maybe sun, with a little wind here and there.  I guess that is how the weather is supposed to be here on Kwaj but with this being an El Niño year, the weather has been anything but monotonous. Take a look at our collection of weather photos since we arrived on island. 

When we first arrived, most of our day was filled by sunshine although it always rained at least once a day.  But the rain would come and go and you would be left with this beautiful view.

Sometimes when it rains it pours.  And I guess we have yet to see it really pour here as we haven't seen the roads flooded but by our to-date standards, there have been a couple of good down pours.

Lightning and thunder is very rare here on the island.  But we have read that if there is to be any lightning storms, September is the most likely month for this to happen.  Sure enough we had at least a half a dozen lightning storms during the month of September. 

Sometimes cloudiness produces the most brilliant sunsets! 

Sometimes after storms we get these beautiful full sky rainbows.

Since we arrived on island the winds have blown almost predominately west.  Everyone calls them the westerlies.  Apparently westerly winds are not normal here.  According to the meteorologist on island, the last time westerly winds dominated for such a long time was 1997.  Right now the winds are at the highest they have been since we arrived on Kwaj.  I have been amazed by how much palm trees can bend and how they don't snap off in half with such a heavy top.  So far I haven't seen any trees break but palm fronds and coconuts like to fall down so you have to be careful walking under trees in the high winds.  

We ventured over to the lagoon side of the island this evening to check out the waves battering the west side of the island.  The lagoon was very choppy with waves crashing over the side of the rock wall.  This wave came up and over the rocks drenching Oliver and I as I was snapping some pictures.