Let's hear it for the first system of the season. At this point, even a shower from it will be welcome, but it looks like we may get much more than that.

Well, technically, it's not 'the first system of the season' (there were a few in May and June,) but it is the first one to pierce the summer heat. In fact, we have really been scorched this year - in the last 3 weeks we have had just one shower that went for about 20 mins - and that was during the night. The rest of the time it has been that unrelenting, energy sapping, brutal Taidong heat. Just walking down each morning to feed the chickens takes a conscious act of will.

People think of a tropical climate as being like living in a paradise, but actually, it's pretty harsh. It just gets so stifingly hot here that you feel something has got to give - and then it does - when a typhoon blows in.

The question is, when will the rain start? CWB is saying it won't begin until tomorrow, but i'm hopeful that we might fluke something later this afternoon or tonight.

It's taking its time to get here, but the skies looking pretty stormy out to sea right now - should be raining within the hour. But don't know how much we are going to get - not a tremendous amount judging from the radar - most of it seems to be staying south of us.

We had some light but steady rain last night, and it's raining now. I agree it looks like this system will fly by just south of us, but there's a slight chance it will pay us a proper visit. I'm surprised to find very little in the way of online forecasts for this storm.