East wind brings scorching heat

THE first east wind conditions of the year at the coast on Wednesay resulted in the second highest temperature for April in 10 years.

The temperature rose to 39 degrees Celsius, as recorded at the weather station of the Meteorological Office at the Walvis Bay airport. At Walvis Bay it went as high as 38,4 degrees Celsius.According to the Meteorological Office’s records for the past 10 years, the highest temperature for April was 42 degrees Celsius as recorded on April 5 1999.It would appear the worst heat was experienced in the Swakop River valley, about 10 km outside Swakopmund.According to private readings taken by residents on the small-holdings in the valley, the Walvis Bay airport record was broken.A plot owner told The Namibian they had measured 43 degrees C before lunch yesterday, while her neighbour had measured 41 degrees C.As a vegetable farmer, she was particularly worried about the heat.At Swakopmund, residents were suffering in the unusual heat and sought out shady and cool spots.People could be seen eating ice cream and drinking water all over town.The warm desert wind, known as the east wind, blew a bit in the night but calmed down in the early morning – leaving only soaring temperatures.By yesterday, the town was much cooler and covered in mist again.According to Odillo Kgobetsi of the Weather Office, the east wind conditions were replaced by a cold front from the Western Cape yesterday.He warned though that warmer conditions could start again on Sunday.He said the off-shore winds that brought the warm weather were normally referred to as the east wind.It is called a bergwind when it gets stronger and picks up sand, resulting in the much-feared sand storms experienced during winter months at the coast.At Walvis Bay it went as high as 38,4 degrees Celsius.According to the Meteorological Office’s records for the past 10 years, the highest temperature for April was 42 degrees Celsius as recorded on April 5 1999.It would appear the worst heat was experienced in the Swakop River valley, about 10 km outside Swakopmund.According to private readings taken by residents on the small-holdings in the valley, the Walvis Bay airport record was broken.A plot owner told The Namibian they had measured 43 degrees C before lunch yesterday, while her neighbour had measured 41 degrees C.As a vegetable farmer, she was particularly worried about the heat.At Swakopmund, residents were suffering in the unusual heat and sought out shady and cool spots.People could be seen eating ice cream and drinking water all over town.The warm desert wind, known as the east wind, blew a bit in the night but calmed down in the early morning – leaving only soaring temperatures.By yesterday, the town was much cooler and covered in mist again.According to Odillo Kgobetsi of the Weather Office, the east wind conditions were replaced by a cold front from the Western Cape yesterday.He warned though that warmer conditions could start again on Sunday.He said the off-shore winds that brought the warm weather were normally referred to as the east wind.It is called a bergwind when it gets stronger and picks up sand, resulting in the much-feared sand storms experienced during winter months at the coast.