What I See with Peter Fiorenza: Recent humid summers are different to those I remember from my childhood

Finally, the heat is subsiding. I apologise to those of you are sun lovers, but as I get older I tend to crave the cooler climates. Why, I’m not quite sure, but there are possibly a couple of reasons. Firstly, I believe the summer months we experience in Geraldton are changing. I’m referring to the type of climate we now experience, and the actual length of summer is not what it used to be like. As a kid, from memory — I’m talking the late 1970s and 1980s — summer climates were indeed hot, but more of a dry heat. Today, there are still the mid to high 40C temperatures, but they are coupled with oppressive humidity. When it’s humid, I feel very uncomfortable, to the point that it can make me quite grumpy — especially when you wake up in the morning to 30C-plus and 70 to 80 per cent humidity (or what feels like that). And it’s even worse if you haven’t been able to sleep at all. I reckon this type of climate is not good regarding a person’s own mental health or general engagement with others. If we are in a state of always being moody, I don’t think it’s a good predisposition for daily life, in general. It’s interesting to note that a good percentage of Australia is affected by this type of climate, and those closer to the tropics would get no respite, whatsoever. Seriously, how do they survive? Now, many of you could say that I’m a bit of a “sooky sooky la la”. You love the sun and everything about summer. I get that, but I don’t — well, don’t anymore. And here is my second reason or excuse. Perhaps, I have never really liked summer, but I, like all of us, like holiday time and in Australia, Christmas and the biggest chunk of holidays happen at this time of the year. Growing up I probably, automatically associated summer with holidays and, therefore, fun and, generally, happiness. Fresh mornings and an evening breeze and moderate temps are what makes me happy today. But, I guess, I’m no Robinson Crusoe. Perhaps, in a few months the boot will be on the other foot, I might be whingeing about the rain and/or cold weather then. After all, I’m only human. Peter Fiorenza hosts Sports Shed Saturday (9am to noon) and Fiorenza on Sunday (10am to noon) on Radio MAMA