Rainy and stormy days in Beirut

After a fairly clear morning, yesterday early afternoon it started raining, and thundering and lightning a bit. The boys were disappointed because we were supposed to meet up with friends at the playground, but when it rains, nobody comes there after school. For a while it seemed like there was still hope though. Once in a while the clouds scattered and the sun came out, the wind drying everything quickly like in a car wash, but then only to be soaked again by another bout of rain. It was as if the sky couldn’t make up its mind: sunny or rainy day?

 

Today the sky is thick with dark blue and grey stormy clouds, and the rain is coming down like in a shower, pouring, filling up the streets, creating huge puddles, rivers and small waterfalls in the gutter. I can hear it gushing through the drain pipes on our house. The sky is constantly lit up by lightning followed by a murmuring thunder, and looking out the window I can see that anything that can is being pulled and pushed at by the strong wind gushes. Is that rain or hail? I’m sure the boys will tell me, because they are doing that which they do every time the sky opens up like this: hanging out outside, wearing their rain boots and rain coats. “We’re just going to go outside and look at the rain a bit, mama.” they say, and take Abraham with them. It makes me a little nervous to let them out by themselves like that, but they stay inside our building’s premises (a driveway down an alley with a small dirt lot and paved parking all around), and Courtney and I have decided we can trust them to stay clear of any possible car. They know to come back inside after a little while, too.

In the meantime, I’m looking out the window towards the sea, to see if the sky will clear up anytime soon. We can’t see the sea from our balcony window however, as I joke sometimes, we do have a very good view of the one building that is blocking our view of the sea. I know the sky I see behind it is the sky over the water, and that’s where the weather always comes from. I’ve never lived in a place before where the weather always only comes from one direction. It’s convenient.

And now I hear the boys at the door. Time to take care of wet and muddy clothes.