Frosty Days

In the midst of new populist governments taking charge in the world and beginning to deny the existence of climate change, locals are facing the reality first hand. But not with natural calamity and disasters. Perhaps for the first time in recent memory, towns across the country such as Bahir Dar, Mehalmeda, Bishoftu (Debrezeit), Haromaya, and Fichee have seen the coldest of their days, with minimum temperature dropping below zero degree celsius. In the case of Debrebrehan, 130Km north-east of Addis Abeba, the temperature dropped five degree below zero, and damaged water pipelines. The capital has also experienced similar changes as the weather dropping to two degrees in the early mornings and late nights. Rare is to see trees with no leafs and skeleton branches around Taitu Street, near the Sheraton Addis Hotel. Sadly, the stubborn cold weather is expected to remain the same, until the end of January 2017.