Power supply has long been an issue in South Australia, and this Summer seems to be testing the situation quite severely. It has been cool for quite a while through December and early January, but the last week has been up in the 40’s quite consistently. On Wed last week, we lost power at work at 4pm, then again on Thurs. I heard it was all ok on Friday, but the VNM lost power late on Thurs night for an hour or two. I didnt notice any power outages on the weekend, but now at work we lost power for an hour this morning, and then again just now for 30 mins.

What a shambles! And temperatures this week will continue in the high 30/low 40’s… I think I can probably expect a power shortage each day.

So I bought an airconditioner. Because I didnt think I was doing enough to contribute to the problem. Nah, actually its because (like many men) the VNM is severely exothermic, so its much like sleeping with a large, cuddly heater in the bed. Not cool, er, happy. And also, it just somehow seems to be hotter than usual. I dunno, I guess these kind of hot spells usually come later in the Summer when we have all had a bit of time to adjust already, but this one came right at the start. So when it got to the point that even with the whole house shut down and blinds shut and everything, it was only a degree or two cooler inside than out, well it suddenly seemed like a good idea to sink $500 into a window-type aircon. I went out with Dad on Saturday, and, well, that was a bit of an ordeal and very hot and sweaty but we got it installed the same day.

If only the cool air would reach the bedroom…. Time to move into the lounge I think.

I really like extremes of weather, but Tokyo’s extremes are much more interesting than Adelaide’s extremes.

• Kristen (chilly Tokyo) said on 09/02/01 at 11:14 PM.....

  Whew - steamy!

• arumanda said on 09/02/02 at 12:31 PM.....

  it might be an ignorant question, but it still puzzles me as to how a rich, industrialised and first world country can have such serious problems with power. my memory might be glossed, but i never ever remember a cut in power in japan. i also don’t recall many of my japanese friends owning an emergency stash of candles in the event of one either. how could this be?

  just this morning i had to fumble around in the dark using the blinking light of my phone, accidentally calling friends - to just get to work. the entire weekend was utter chaos at the supermarket where we closed down the deli unable to sell ANY cold goods. just craziness.  at least forus here it has cooled down a little, but i feel for you in the heat without power. good luck and enjoy your new aircon when you have the power to!

• j-ster (home) said on 09/02/12 at 12:29 AM.....

  Back in my first year of this last bout of uni, as part of business studies we had a presenter from an Indian energy industry consultant, and he was talking about working with a power supplier who, amongst other things, promised and delivered less than 1/2 hr per year of power outages. There was a bit of a rumble in the room when he said that, we were all wishing he would join ETSA!