Rather more than scattered showers

On the waterfront at Caudan - morning of February 13th 2013

If you've travelled to New Zealand, you'll understand the weird idea of a micro-climate. It can be raining on just  one side of the road. Well, Mauritius has micro-climates that are just as surprising, as I have seen today.

Here at Tamarin Bay there was a light drizzle when I woke up this morning, and there were one or two heavy bursts or rain, but nothing very significant and now, by mid-afternoon, it's bright, and the sun is trying to break through here and there. I might go down to the beach later and have a splash in the surf.

Flooding at Brisée-Verdiere

Meanwhile....some parts of the island have been hit with torrential raining and flooding with the result that all educational establishments are now closed for the day, following the announcement by the Minister of Education at 06.15 this morning, based on the recommendation of the Mauritius Meteorological Station. By mid-morning all government departments had followed suit and  closed, and soon all shops and offices had shut their doors and sent their staff home.

In the local shopping centre, I found the main supermarket still open, but almost deserted, and all the independent retailers had shut up shop and gone home.

With mixed expectations for the day's weather and uncertainty over bus services The River House staff were all given lifts home mid-morning and, with the spirit of gentle acceptance that I believe characterises the island, everyone now relaxes, and waits to see what tomorrow brings.

It's tea-time, and there's no rain now. A warm breeze wafts the fragrance of the drenched flowers through the air and the sky has a sunny haze. It's the 12th of the month,and statistically we've had our quota of rain till March. If it's bright tomorrow, I'll probably head down the lane to Tamarin Bay. If it's grey I might head 40km over to the other side of the island and see if they are basking in a different micro-climate. Though, to be honest, it is truly liberating to feel that I don't have to find scorching sunshine, or snap photos of all the sights in the guide-books. In fact, I don't have to do anything.

I can just enjoy soaking up the island atmosphere.

A little light cloud over Tamarin Bay - just enough to soften the sun