Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Ho hum Hamish

Apart from the best surf V has encountered since moving to Paradise, Hamish is just being busy doing not much.

When I was an inmate at the Red Roof Gaol, we encountered several cyclones fit enough to make life a boarding school exciting.

  • 3-4 March, 1983. CYCLONE ELINOR - memorable mostly because my cousin was born during it - and I was advised in sick bay, because apparently the boarding house we were living in was not rated for cyclones.
  • 22 February, 1985. CYCLONE PIERRE - a whole lot of rain, causing our fire alarms to go off several times a night for several nights. Seeing firemen when you are in an all girls boarding school? Fantastic. Seeing firemen several times a night when you are shivering on the school oval while it was bucketing down rain? Not so fantastic.
  • 1 February, 1986. CYCLONE WINIFRED - this one was noticeable because it decimated our ranks - many other inmates were in flooded regions when school reopened, and the ratio of misstresses to inmates being so high really sucked.
  • Unfortunately for Des (January 1983), Grace (January 1984), Ingrid (February 1984), Harvey (February 1984), Lance (April 1984), Monica (December 1984), Nigel (January 1985), Vernon (January 1986), Alfred (March 1986), - obviously you were the Hamishes of yesteryear


I never really had high expectations of Hamish, anyway - the only cyclones (in my lifetime) who have had the guts to come this far South and crossed the coast been very fewhave all bar one been ladies.

Cliff crossed the threshhold in February 1981 and broke a drought - but we all have to doff our hats truly to Gertie (December 1995) (not to be confused with the Gertie of April 1964 or the Gertie of February 1971, or indeed the Gertie of 1985) who was no longer a cyclone when she came over, but came in from the West and traversed the whole continent!

So Hamish - it appears you are not an Althea, an Emily, a Fran, a Dawn, a Wanda, a Zoe or a Daisy.

Is it just me, or does it appear cyclone names are pretty wussy?

Apparently you can request (in writing only) a name to go on the future preferred name list.

What do you think is a good name for a cyclone?

12 comments:

Debby said...

Buster.

You didn't even get any rain out of this?

BB said...

Hamish is a pussy.

How bout "Bruce"?
Heh
BB

Anonymous said...

Now a "Bruce" might get somewhere! M

BB said...

Having regularly experienced "cyclone bruce', I can attest that not only would there have been heavy downpour, but also widespread destruction!!!
:-)

Debby said...

You could borrow 'Katrina'. Would recommend tempting the weather gods quite that much though.

Woman in a Window said...

Hank. And it's gotta wear a cowboy hat and be innocent. OH wait, sorry. What did you ask?

Reddunappy said...

I find it interesting that they are cyclones in the Pacific and Hurricanes in the Atlantic, its so confusing. My daughter is in weather in the Air Force and assures me they are the same thing LOL duh Mom LOL

Jayne said...

I think Hepzibah and Mehitabel would, like their name sakes, be equal to any big blowy job needed!

Lin said...

Kylie, Norm, Kevin, Fiona,...

Or we could give the new generation a place in the spotlight with Zoe, Chloe, Damen and Fynn.

Anonymous said...

Hamish was pretty pathetic all round - all talk and no action. Even if he did traverse the entire length of the Queensland coast. Though I think those three fishermen might have a different opinion...

Anonymous said...

How about Cindy?
Cyclone Cindy has a nice ring to it, although it conjurs up images of skipping, lisping six year olds with ringlets, so maybe not.

I can put my vote in for cyclone Noah, personal experience and all.

jeanie said...

Debby - apparently no cyclone can be named that can bring disrepute onto the meteorological department - or one that has achieved fame. I think Buster may fall into that category - we got 1 inch.

As you may note from the Bush Babe/Anoymous interaction, we are related to a Bruce who can be cyclonic.

WiaW - I agree, we don't have enough Hanks down here - especially the cowboy hat wearing sorts.

Reddunappy - apparently "cyclone" is the global term, "hurricane" is a regional term (http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A1.html)

Jayne - and there I was thinking that they might be a bit long in the tooth to contemplate "blowy" jobs!

Lin - again, those pesky little rules about disrepute mean that we won't get a Cyclone Kev (or indeed Pauline) for some time.

Tanya - I agree there, and mean no disrespect to the lives that were lost.

tiff - I like Cyclone Cindy - lovely and alliterative.