Well, the heatwave broke with a vengeance yesterday. After a morning of steady drizzle, we thought it was clearing and went out shopping. As we left Sainsbury’s with a full trolley, the heavens opened and trapped quite a few people in the store or in their cars. There was a lull and we made it home but what came before was nothing to what came after. Sheets of rain, thunderclaps and dense black clouds overheads for hours. Over an inch of rain was recorded at Heathrow – about 15 days worth for a normal August. Our pond flooded for the first time in many months.
It’s a little odd because it has been much cooler this past week and it seemed the chance of thunderstorms had passed. And as for the forecasts of record temperatures in August that apparently some bookies were taking bets on a few weeks ago, it now seems as unlikely as a white Christmas. Mind you with the climate getting more extreme, this may be more likely in future.
Surprisingly there were no knock-on effects this morning. The tube was running well. Ruislip Manor station was affected by the water though, and not for the first time. They had to turn off the ticket machines because the rain was getting in from the platform level above. This is the station that was extensively rebuilt during 2005, let me remind you.
I had to go to hospital for a check-up this morning and so actually travelled into London around 11:00. Arrived at Acton Town to find a crowded platform and an empty Piccadilly pulling away – presumably defective. Everybody got in my train. Then they announced that the next London-bound train was on the adjoining platform so everyone got out again and crowded into a Piccadilly arriving from Heathrow. I stayed put and our train, blissfully empty again, left a minute or so later.
There ought to be a punch line to this little story but I can’t think of one right now.
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