2014年夏天: 「秋老虎」和「黑苺冬天」 / Summer 2014: Blackberry Winter & Indian Summer

Photo Credit: Via Krystyn Chong's Google+ Account

七月天氣炎熱, 冷氣机數星期24/7未有休息, 這和早陣子的寒冬, 真是大有分別 !!

週末我將会跑半馬拉松距離的障礙賽, 希望天氣会冷卻一些, 讓運動員跑也跑得舒服一點.

>>>>>>> UPDATED 20140724 <<<<<<<

My blogger friend Inner Space has raised a very interesting point in his posted comments: Is Eskimo Winter the opposite/equivalent of Indian Summer? According to Wikipedia, the answer is: Blackberry Winter (see below).

References/Related links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_summer

".... An Indian summer is a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather, occurring after the end of summer proper. The US National Weather Service defines this as weather conditions that are sunny and clear with temperatures above 21 °C (70 °F), following a sharp frost (the "Squaw Winter"). It is normally associated with late-September to mid-November. There are multiple explanations for the name. The North American Indians—native Americans—depended upon periods of fine, quiet, sunny weather at this time of the year to complete their harvest to see them through the winter... In China, this period is called qiū lǎohǔ (秋老虎), which literally means "autumn tiger". In Chinese, it signifies the revival of often fierce, summer-like heat that persists well past the Beginning of Autumn (the 13th seasonal division point according to the Chinese calendar, usually falling on August 7 or 8). This hot weather may persist until well into October or November in the southern regions...."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackberry_winter

".... Blackberry winter is a colloquial expression used in south & midwest North America, referring to a cold snap that often occurs in late spring when the blackberries are in bloom. Other colloquial names for spring cold snaps include "Dogwood winter," “Whippoorwill winter,” "Locust winter," and “Redbud winter.” The different names are based on what is blooming in particular regions during the typical spring cold snaps. Another colloquialism for these spring cold snaps is "Linsey-Woolsey Britches winter," referring to a type of winter long underwear which could be put away after the last cold snap. The Blackberry winter term may have arisen to describe the belief that a spring cold snap helps the blackberry canes to start growing...."

Speaking from a Canadian perspective:  I hope the Canadian company BlackBerry will find it comforting to know that growth will follow after a cold spell !!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angry_Summer

As a side-note, the Aussies use the term "Angry Summer" to describe the hot waves that hit the continent last "summer" (note: the summer down-under is winter for Canadians).  

".... The Australian summer of 2012–2013, known as the Angry Summer or Extreme Summer, resulted in 123 weather records being broken over a 90-day period, including the hottest day ever recorded for Australia as a whole, the hottest January on record, the hottest summer average on record, and a record seven days in a row when the whole continent averaged above 39 °C. ....The hottest temperature recorded during the course of the heatwave was 49.6 °C (121.3 °F) at Moomba in South Australia...."