When the weather forecast says it's going to rain, you better be cautious. It's not just small winter rain (or autumnal rain as we would see it in Finland), but something that messes the whole city up.
If you are wise, you're staying inside. If you're not, be prepared to get soaked while waiting for the taxi during the rush hour, or while walking after you've given up that attempt to get a taxi. Or, if you're moving with your car, be ready to sit in the traffic jam and drive turtle-speed on the steep and slippery roads. The water will stay on the streets as it has no sewerage to go to. This means not just an interesting SPLASH - you got 3 seconds to pass this spot before getting splashed by a car passing by - SPLASH obstacle course, but also real challenges for the infrastructure as the roads are in a really bad condition after the rains. Parts of the roads or roadsides get flushed away. Apparently, it's easier to repair the damage than build expensive infrastructure that can take in all the water that pours during these rainstorms. And still, when the rain comes, it's a relief. This year has been dry in the region, and the rains were delayed by months. Some studies suggest that this has been the driest year in 900 years in the Eastern Mediterranean region. And this does not fit into natural variability of dry and wet years but instead seems an anomaly that gives evidence of human-caused climate change. Since the area is already suffering from water scarcity, future does not seem bright if years like this are coming more frequently. So, even if I might curse my soaked shoes, I'm happy that it's raining.
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