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What to expect in MARCH 2005

Statistics

	Average temperature 26.5 C Average rainfall 13 mm Cloud cover 2.3/10 Humidity 56 % Rainy days 1.6 Sunshine 279.5 hrs.

Whether the times they are a-changing - the Western view - or spiraling with minor variations - as the traditional East believes - is a matter for discussion. So too with the weather. Is the world undergoing a temporary and minor warming up before the next, inevitable, ice-age in, say, about five thousand years time (see Durant's The History of Civilisation for the argument that civilisations are just brief spells of hand-warming before the big chill returns)? Or can we expect cataclysmic and unpredictable disruptions to the old patterns, brought about by our failure to live in balance with Nature? More frequent and extreme El Ninos: more cyclones, floods, droughts and tsunamis? We shall see in due course, no doubt.

If the patterns maintain themselves this year, at all events, this is the month when the temperature makes its biggest rise, averaging 26 C overall - some 4 C higher than in February - but showing some considerable difference between the beginning of the month, when mornings and evenings still bring that touch of coolness to remind us of the 'winter' past, and the end, when we're really into the hot season. However, as always, up in the hills the extremes are greater than down here on the plain, the sun blasting you during the day, but the steep drop of the evening making you wish you'd brought that jacket along after all.

It's also the haziest month, with next to no rain to clear things up. Don't expect any view worth talking about from the platform of Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, unless there's been an unusual shower. In fact, from the city you aren't likely even to be able to see Doi Suthep, only a matter of four kilometres away.

On the other hand, humidity's down to an average of 56%, the lowest of the year, and that makes the heat a lot easier to take.

This is also the time for forest fires. In the past, you'd see spectacular blazes lasting days in March and April on Doi Suthep-Doi Pui, doing a lot of damage as they climbed into the evergreen forest at the higher level. Now, though, the fire-fighting services tend to get on the case quickly, and you might see helicopters aiding the ground teams, dipping huge 'buckets' into the reservoirs at Ang Kaew and elsewhere, and dowsing the hot spots wherever they find them. Oh, and April's just round the corner.

Now that's really hot.