WCC 9: Always take the weather with you

Written by Molly McCarthy

“You live in Wellington? Wow, how windy is it?”

To use the cliché, if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that question I’d be a rich woman. I’d also have enough money to buy myself a full-bodied gore-tex weather-protective suit. But alas, I’m not so lucky and instead often come home with cold fingers, wet clothes and tangled hair.

Yet despite this, generally when people ask me this question I am quite defensive of Wellington, claiming that it’s not so bad, never actually that windy and even when it is, I enjoy being blown about. I am never sure why I so valiantly defend Wellington’s tempestuous meteorological conditions. Certainly, trapped in the thick of a strong wind my opinions are quite different. Struggling my way down the street and trying to hold my skirt down Marilyn Monroe-style I lament the city’s geographical weaknesses and swear bitterly into the head-on gale.

Caught in a wind corridor between the north and south islands, Wellington is one of the windiest cities in the world. The airport is affectionately named ‘Wild At Heart’ and is decorated with stick figures having their hair and scarves blown around by the almost ever-present wind. It is also one of the most terrifying airports to fly in to, with planes bouncing on the gusts as they tilt and sway towards the narrow runway.

Wellington certainly doesn’t do things by halves. On sunny days the city is absolutely beautiful. On days like these, even in the throes of winter, Wellingtonians invite one another to enjoy gelato and beers in the afternoon sun. Optimism leads to outfits that are often just a little too sheer for the temperature, but goosebumps are ignored simply because a fine day is a rare but beautiful beast. Facebook status updates compliment the city’s fine conditions, and conversations about the weather go beyond mere small talk.

But with the superbly good there is always the tremendously bad. Earlier this year the city was hit by a weather bomb.  Winds of 130km/hr, lightning and torrential rain saw roofs torn from buildings, windows smashed and a number of people injured. On Lambton Quay shoppers ran for cover as gusts chased them down the street. Fourteen stories above street level pieces of paper were swept from the footpath and jettisoned into the windows of offices. Again regular updates appeared on Facebook and Twitter; everyone had their own tale to tell about the particularly sinister storm.

It is because of the extreme and all-encompassing effects of Wellington’s weather that it is so significant, so ingrained in Wellingtonians’ lives. It draws people together, whether they are huddled under a bus-stop or out enjoying the rare but brilliant sunshine. Just the other day a friend commented that he’d never checked the weather forecast before he moved to Wellington; now the week’s predictions directly affect his mood and lecture attendance. It’s not all bad though - type ‘windy Wellington’ into Google and the most popular hit is the Wellington Windsurfing Association website, where “wind junkies” can read up on the finer points of the city’s gusts and gales. The elongated winter is also favourable for my wardrobe, as I can wear my best winter coats from March through ‘til November.

Last month I wrote about how Wellington’s geographical concentration made the city a constantly thriving, ever-ready place to live. Perhaps it is not only the social proximity, but also the city’s common climatic thread that draws its population together. Scattered over a small area, battered by the same winds and basking in the same sun, how can Wellingtonians not feel connected with one another - if only out of empathy for a neighbour with a destroyed umbrella.

So why do I defend Wellington’s weather, indeed, why do I even write a column about it? Because, yes, it is windy, but it just wouldn’t be Wellington without the wind.

photo Rachel Brandon