Who likes summer?

[Atmos]

Does anyone here actually like summer? I detest summer for so many reasons. The majority of people that I find like summer are those that enjoy it from their air conditioned home, office and car.

My job has be working outside for 8-12 hours a day. The flies have me wanting to let loose a Mortein nuclear bomb to wipe out the entire species. The heat and humidity leave me with sweat rashes that turn into blisters if I don’t treat them correctly and it doesn’t matter what hat I wear or how much sun screen I use, my face is always red.
At night I’d enjoy setting up a telescope but after tonight I’ve decided that I’ll not be doing so for the next few months at my house. 30°C at 9:20pm and I’m wearing a jacket and pants, sweat dripping from my face and running down my legs and I still only lasted 20 minutes before my neck started getting sore and my right hand started swelling from all the mosquito bites :/ Took an hour and a half to set up my imaging rig as I spent half of that time sitting in front of a fan inside cooling myself before I over heated or dehydrated.

It’s uncomfortably hot during the day and during the night making it hard to sleep. The nights are short and what little there is is hindered by blood sucking insects. Does summer have any redeeming features?

[xelasnave]

You probably need a small beard if you get a rash in thise parts..

Strap a peltie device to your wrist that could help.

I think you may make the problem worse by self talk...its so hot etc...try saying I feel cool.
On all accounts it apparently wont get better so perhaps you need to get used to the heat.
As to the flies again dont talk yourself into letting them annoy you...they want salt..I have not tried it but maybe soak your hat in salt.
Sorry the heat is getting to me.
Alex

[Shiraz]

love it. Just a few things:
steady air - best seeing conditions of the year due to being near the sea,
no dew or life-threatening cold air in the obs.,
fruit is in season - apricots, peaches, grapes, tomatoes, figs etc..
solar panels work a treat to keep the power costs near zero,
blue swimmer crabs are in - best seafood by far,
boating is a sensible activity,
plenty of reasons to drink various bubbly liquids.
etc.
etc

[AndyG]

Sorry to hear it Dude,

I've never been further south than Canberra, but what you describe is like Townsville for 1/2 the year. Regarding the mozzies, just do the usual and dump all the still water you can find, and keep the lawn short.

I used to love Summer without reservation, until I started Astro 6 moths ago. I work long hours, and Summer gave me a chance to do things after work in the Daylight. Now it eats into the new hobby time. Oh well, 1st world problem...

Here in Tville the CSIRO has started releasing genetically engineered mozzies that are essentially sterile. They compete for mates, but shoot blanks - hopefully cutting the population long term. We wait and see.

You are right about one thing. Those who "enjoy" summer are rarely "in it". I agree with Alex about the mindset. Imagine being stuck on a motorbike with leather jacket, stopped at a red light, 36Deg C, with a panting ZXR-750 between your legs... Had this problem daily. The only solution is in-situ meditation. Just remove your mind from the location/problem.

[LewisM]

I'm warm blooded, so bring on snow, frosts and chilly winds. I am hoping winter is early this year. Snow in Canberra would make my year.

Nothing like waking up to a white frosted lawn, walking in it to the car then scraping ice off the windscreen.

Daughter No1 and I are sharing a birthday this year at Mt Selwyn in the snow.

[AndyG]

Confession time:
I'm 38, and have never seen snow in my life :(
Double insult - Wife is Japanese, and I've been there maybe 11 times.
Still no snow for Andy. I'm just gonna have a little sook in the corner. Don't mind me :P

[bigjoe]

Just about my sentiments too Ray.

I actually look forward to the seeing..essential for doubles..more so than winter's transparency ..though not the Mozzies........Now , were did I put that cold fig.

bigjoe.

[Ausrock]

Yep, got to agree.

As for the bugs, Aeroguard and mozzie coils work a treat for me.

[speach]

Give me a cooler time, was out last night trying to image the star were jumping around like fleas on a hot plate, came in at 1.30 am and it still was 24 deg. This weather's not for me night is supposed cool!!

[multiweb]

I guess it depends where you live and what you do for work. I enjoy the low 30s at the beach but not so much the mid 40s in the west. I work indoors with aircon so can't complain but had an outdoor job in the past and would dread to be outside in those temps. Looking forward to winter and long nights of imaging. This year's summer heat didn't feel as bad as last year, around Sydney anyway, maybe because we had la nina and a bit more humidity and breeze from the east. But it still got bloody hot at times so one wonders what the next el nino will bring. :scared:

[el_draco]

I hate it with a passion. Grew up in Northern Victoria and had to spend the Summer holidays hiding from it. Go outside and you'd burn through your shirt; friggin cicadas droning at 3:00 and "sleeping" in a pool of sweat. Came to Tassie to escape, but its going to be 36 today and 30 tomorrow with high humidity. Macquarie island is looking good! Bring back MY SNOW! Anything over 20 C is a dead loss. :sadeyes::sadeyes:

[N1]

Come to NZ mate (http://www.metservice.com/towns-cities/dunedin). You can still have a life at the height of Summer.

the 33°C for next Wednesday is not normal :hi:

[omegacrux]

I prefer Winter, dark at 5.30pm
It's hard to cool down easy to warm up!
I like wearing jackets

David

[Camelopardalis]

Too funny guys. Go spend a year in Blighty and see how you like “summer” or indeed the other seasons then ;)

Can’t believe anyone would complain about clear warm nights :eyepop:

[rrussell1962]

Spot on Dunk, many unhappy memories of setting up in Essex snow with Orion merrily twinkling away like a set of fairy lights. A spray of Bushman is a small price to pay.

[Atmos]

Clear warm nights aren’t bad at all, being dressed for winter when it’s 30°C outside and still being bitten by dozens of mosquitoes isn’t as much fun ;)

[doppler]

Summer's not much chop up north either, warm nights yea but not clear, lots of non stop clouds passing through.
Winter though, yes lots of warm clear nights.

[w0mbat]

I hate it too. I grew up in Sydney, now live in eastern Victoria at 540 metres and beginning to regret not moving to Tasmania.
We have had what seems like weeks of "Queensland" weather with high humidity, very warm to hot days and warm nights. Pretty unusual here in the past but becoming a regular summer "feature". Today it is 29.4 degrees already and it is only really 9 30 AM.
"Macquarie island is looking good! "
Lucky enough to have been there briefly...rarely have I had such a sense of wildness and the power of nature as on Macquarie island. Highly recommend it. I could happily live there.
Ian

[spiezzy]

I agree with Colin it sucks working in summer out doors I do fencing and and the heat is unbearable and humidity and sleeping at night is just as bad bring on winter

[MattT]

Summer...love it. Melbourne never stays hot enough long enough, would love to live in Adelaide or Hills around or my favourite North East Victoria.

Was in Adelaide recently for the Tour Down Under, very hot and dry....and yes I was out riding in the hills following the race....great holiday.

[Wavytone]

I loathe the humidity in Sydney. The last few nights have been terrible - only 27 but 85% hunidity.

Dry heat is ok by me.

[Camelopardalis]

Hint: don't move to Queensland :lol:

Some - all - of my best planetary data has been gleaned while wearing long sleeved shirts, long pants and snow boots, with sweat running off my forehead like a waterfall...because I'm being pushed out of my design specs i.e. it's warm and humid :lol:

[Atmos]

10 years ago I went to Vietnam two months before the wet season (30+ every day and 70-85% humidity) and have been to QLD to during July (probably he best time) and decided many years ago that I'd NEVER live in Queensland :P

I'd say that anyone living up north this time of year is properly crazy :D

[pjphilli]

I am surprised at the number of people who appear to dislike summer.
I live in a NW suburb of Sydney which has "moderate" weather.
I am not a fan of summer especially with daylight saving which means that I cannot commencing imaging before about 9.30pm and the presence of humid sea breezes which makes for lots of dew and not so good viewing.
Great night sky though with lots of imaging around the Orion region.
My favorite seasons would be Autumn and Spring.
Wherever you may live in Australia, it is still the best place in my opinion.

[LewisM]

Lived in Moscow and Siberia for a while...kind of love knee deep snow :)

First night in Moscow 14 years ago it was -40°. LOVED LOVED LOVED it, especially coming from a QLD +40° humid summer. Being well insulated naturally helps :)

[FlashDrive]

Don't like it at all,especially the humidity ... heat knocks me around too much... I can get very irritable if too hot and humid.

I'm glad the car has aircon' ( so has the house ) ....I have lots and lots of trees in my back yard which provides ' tons ' of shade :thumbsup:

I prefer the ' cool ' weather ...I'm easy to get on with then ...;)

You see why I use my Scope out the front ...

Pop...:D

[Tropo-Bob]

:lol:
I worked for a company, which would have southern visitors in winter. They never missed a chance to tell us that we are living in paradise.

However, some had to come back in January. They went through heat, floods and 2 cyclone scares within 2 weeks. It was paradise lost: They then said you're living in hell, how do U stand it?

[Camelopardalis]

Yeah Brisbane is somewhere in between...literally :lol:

Much more stable than the south - none of those dodgy 40+ degree days followed by a 20-something - and less oppressive than the north, and reduced risk of catastrophe. The daily max rarely rises or falls by more than a couple of degrees, not just from day to day but month to month. Similarly at night, although in summer it sometimes doesn’t feel like it drops much...for this time of year, we have air conditioning ;)

All but Jan/Feb are bearable. I’m at the point where I feel the cold in the Brisbane winter now though :screwy: :lol:

[doppler]

Here in Mackay aka central QLD we just catch the bottom edge of the monsoon and the top edge of whatever is happening down south. The weather here seems to be a lot milder the past couple of years, no random wild storms, the only weather warnings have been from cyclones a couple of times in the last decade. The southern weather seems to be having a stronger influence here than the northern monsoon. The weather might be milder but the clouds seem to be more persistent though.

[The Mekon]

I hate summer and cannot wait for the cooler weather, Summer where I live often means nice blue skies that give way cloudy skies every evening as the air pushes moisture up over the escarpment. Very frustrating!
Ten there are the mosquitos which I have trained myself to detect biting me so I can swat them. Then it is not truly dark until 2130 and I am tired. I could go on............................

[Wilso]

-1 for Summer for me.
Two + weekends of oppressive heat in South Australia is enough!
My front grass is like crispy fried chicken and the plants struggle without water.
Perfect weather in Adelaide is definetly Autum and Spring, less heat, wind and nice amount of rain. Reasonably clear sky's as well!!

[mynameiscd]

Same here
Pretty well outside work every day with stone and mud.
So after a hot day its a bit hard to get off the couch and go outsde and sweat with the mossies.
But after you do it, its all worth it.
Well thats the mantra I keep going in my head.
Bring on Autumn.

[gaseous]

Wouldn't say I "hate" summer, but as a paleskin that burns under a full moon through heavy curtains, it doesn't have much to recommend it. It also means that it's normally nudging 8.00pm before full dark, which is a nuisance for people that like to hit the hay early.