The steely grey takes on the blues and purples of a tender bruise, a sudden clap of thunder shakes windows and walls, and lightning forks across the sky before the first drops of rain plummet to the earth.
We’ve seen several intense storms over the past few weeks, and most residents have had to contend with some form of rain-related chaos – usually while trying to get from A to B.
A running Jozi storm joke on social media platforms is how Joburg traffic gets even worse.
“One drop of rain, and suddenly no one seems to know how to drive anymore” is the oft-repeated refrain; and one not entirely devoid of truth, as lived experience has proved.
But despite the inconveniences that the storms bring, despite the bad driving and blocked storm water drains, I think any Joburger worth their salt is madly in love with our summer storms.
Despite the drama and destruction they can bring, the storms seem to leave behind a city that seems just a little bit more clean and shiny, and new.
The air is cleared of dust, our urban forest appears fresh and green, and our heat-induced grumpiness is soothed and calmed, even if only for a short while.
I’ve been caught in several torrential downpours and once arrived back at the office soaked to the skin. I’ve seen the same thing happen to others.
And I noticed that, once we’ve got past our wide-eyed, open-mouthed goldfish impressions, we’ve laughed about it.
Perhaps our storms are one of the things that can unite Joburgers.
Whether we’re stuck in a traffic nightmare, trying to close all the windows at work or home, or dashing for cover because we ventured outdoors without umbrellas or raincoats, we’re in those storms together.
We’ve weathered many a storm in the past, and we’ll do so in the future. We might not have a mountain, but, Jozi, we have our storms.
