Monday, September 13

The temperature has dropped and autumn might have arrived. Nobody seems to know for certain.

As I go for my walk I listen to a recent edition of All Points North. I learn that Finland has just had its hottest summer since 1937 and that Helsinki has had the hottest summer since records began. I also learn that rain has fallen on the ice caps in Greenland for the first time in recorded history.

On All Points North Yle meteorologist and author Kerttu Kotakorpi said that a warming planet could mean Finland experiencing temperatures some five degrees above average by the end of this century. Apparently Finland will warm up at twice the average rate as we enter a version of hell of our own devising.

Listening to this I photograph the ground. Autumn appears to have arrived there at least.

Later in the day the temperature will warm up dramatically and I will sit in the garden in a t-shirt. In the evening autumn will reappear, with winter looking over its shoulder.

So thus starts the extreme weather we should all expect: cardigan on, cardigan off, cardigan on, cardigan off. Everybody’s doing it, doing it, doing it.