This record-setting heat wave (112 F on Monday) is going to last another couple of days. To save power, we were advised to cool off our homes early in the day and then “raise the thermostat” to 78 in the mid-afternoon through evening. So I did turn on the air conditioner in mid-morning. (I had to move some things around to get to the knobs; now I have another pile of papers to sort through.) Then I went out to the courtyard to study for an hour at the umbrella-shaded tables. There was quite a breeze out there, so it really was quite nice. Residents of this building do use the area to sit outside and chat, even for barbecues, in the summer—but not so much in the daytime, and definitely not in this weather, so I had the place to myself. When I came back in, the living room was cooled off, but the temperature in the bedroom was only two degrees lower than before. After awhile, I switched from Cool to Fan, as the living room really was too cold. I wish there was a happy medium!
However, that is not the interesting weather. Last night, just after turning out my lights, I was hoping to fall asleep (hope spring eternal, yes), with the classical music station on the radio. I’ve found this is the best help for me to go to sleep: the classical music on, but barely audible, rather subconscious. Alas, I can only get that station on my bedroom radio about a quarter of the time (at night anyhow—it comes through better in the morning). I don’t know why. (And yes, I realize that most of you listen to radio on your Smart Phone, but that’s another column.) Suddenly there was a sort of rumble. Was that thunder? Or someone moving furniture? Really, we don’t get many thunderstorms here. They tend to occur in the afternoon and be rather far away. But now, second, huge rumble came—actually startling. (I read now that many people were awakened by it.)
I went to the dining room (kitchen) window and opened it. (I can’t easily get to the bedroom window, and all seven feet of it is covered by ugly window blinds, which are obscured by bookshelves.) I put my head next to the screen to try to see the sky. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of lightning that made me jerk back. It felt as if the lightning strike were just outside the window! Thunder followed immediately and loud. Rain began, but not very enthusiastically. I shut the window, and went to the bathroom, where there is a window above the tub. A light rain came in horizontally, splashing my face. Another lightening flash, but not so near, and thunder a few seconds later. Several more flashes followed, but each was more distant, judging by the brightness and the timing of the thunder. If it takes the sound of thunder five seconds to travel one mile, then that lightning at my kitchen window was only one-fifth of a mile away.
ABC7News has some impressive photos and videos of the storm over San Francisco the previous day. Sacramento CBS Local has videos of the storm here.
Weather.gov tell us: “Remember, if you can hear thunder, chances are that you're within striking distance of the storm. You don't want to get struck by the next flash of lightning.” National Geographic’s website states that worldwide, 2,000 people a year are killed by lightning, while many more suffer lasting consequences.
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