South Africa 2008 - Christmas Eve Eve Lightning Storm
Sponsored By
In Oregon where I am from, the weather tends to be very mild. It's basically meh and 60F/15C most of the year. It's NOT a place of extreme anything. Except maybe hayfever/allergies.
Down here in Africa, it's extreme. It's as if God himself is showing off. It was very hot today, but tonight it's rained and thundered and lightening like someone was pissed. Here's a few shots with a super slow super cheap Casio Exilim Z750 out the window:
I took 150 shots of blackness, one after the other, before I got these. I still don't feel like I nailed it, but the first one is pretty sweet.
About Scott
Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.
About Newsletter
Hosting By
December 24, 2008 1:27
Testing openID.. nice photos by the way haha
https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawlaxG6-9zBj2YPukvOpwTop4xGn2MelxKQ
Hey Scott,
I am enjoying your posts from Africa. Funny that you mention the mild weather we USUALLY have here in Portland. This week we have had something like 8 inches of snow and more is coming! Enjoy your hot weather.
I am enjoying your posts from Africa. Funny that you mention the mild weather we USUALLY have here in Portland. This week we have had something like 8 inches of snow and more is coming! Enjoy your hot weather.
Try with the longest possible exposure time supported by your camera... ...usually a neat way to get nice photos of lightning (unless there are too many other light sources nearby)
* Photograph is good. And your patience is amazing! 150 shots, phewww...
* If you think 15C is good, come to Gujarat, India. I find 15C to be quite cold as we have 30C normal!
* If you think 15C is good, come to Gujarat, India. I find 15C to be quite cold as we have 30C normal!
Good Work with that camera Scott, you are wasting your time on the keyboard with all that .Net stuff, haha just kidding man, love your posts.
Maybe God could show off by doing something about the AIDS epidemic or the extreme poverty in Africa instead of reserving his might and awe for a light show?
I'm just saying...
I'm just saying...
Scott,
Thanks for all the S.A. travel logs, I've enjoyed them very much. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
You are missing a rare white Christmas in Portland. We have 15-16 inches here near the I-5 Terwilleger curves (just South of downtown Portland for those not familiar). The previous Christmas snow record, set in 1932 or 1933 was 1.37 inches. Currently the temperature has just gotten above freezing, the second time in the past 12 days, but will drop again later this afternoon; this too is an unusual cold spell for Portland. The freeways, trains and airports have all experienced multi-day shut downs stranding hundreds, if not thousands of holiday travellers. Seattle has also experienced a lot of this same weather.
Hopefully someone has been checking on your house during this inclimate weather.
Begining the 27th we are expected to return to the typical Pacific NorthWet weather of mid 40s (F) and rain for the foreseeable futute.
Thanks for all the S.A. travel logs, I've enjoyed them very much. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
You are missing a rare white Christmas in Portland. We have 15-16 inches here near the I-5 Terwilleger curves (just South of downtown Portland for those not familiar). The previous Christmas snow record, set in 1932 or 1933 was 1.37 inches. Currently the temperature has just gotten above freezing, the second time in the past 12 days, but will drop again later this afternoon; this too is an unusual cold spell for Portland. The freeways, trains and airports have all experienced multi-day shut downs stranding hundreds, if not thousands of holiday travellers. Seattle has also experienced a lot of this same weather.
Hopefully someone has been checking on your house during this inclimate weather.
Begining the 27th we are expected to return to the typical Pacific NorthWet weather of mid 40s (F) and rain for the foreseeable futute.
This is one of the things I love about the Highveld, as we call it. We have very hot days and then in the evening we have thunderstorms. Great stuff, means I can swim in the day but at night the air is cool and fresh after the thunderstorm.
If you can before you leave, go to one of the higher areas in the JoBurg area when there is a thunderstorm again. Seeing JoBurg's lights with huge thunderbolts flash above it is really spectacular.
If you can before you leave, go to one of the higher areas in the JoBurg area when there is a thunderstorm again. Seeing JoBurg's lights with huge thunderbolts flash above it is really spectacular.
Marthinus - Yes, I was driving at midnight on the N1 last night after having taken these pictures and happened to see a bolt (many, actually) over Jo'burg and was truly blown away. The entire sky (the sky always seems larger in Africa) lit up purple and dozens of the biggest strikes I've ever seen shot across the sky with a width and an intensity that was (ahem) shocking.
Speaking of photos, my good mate Aquila has some good snaps of the same storm over here
Nice photos Scott. I know from personal experience that taking lightning photos is super hard. I still pull the camera out whenever there is lightning in the sky.
Here's my effort: Taking Lightning Photos
Here's my effort: Taking Lightning Photos
These storms tend to happen in certain areas only - so not really an African storm. In South Africa, as someone mentioned it is known as a Highveld storm and happens more in the Joburg region. Cape Town, Durban etc tend not have these kind of storms.
Comments are closed.