Depression Jana

In Search of Hope – by Sam Gannon

Seconded to the parish of Tililngdon, the Reverend Dolores has been presented with a challenge.

She’s living in an antiquated house and she’s cold. Furthermore, her new Bishop, Bishop Alice does not approve of ‘showgirls in dog collars.’

Determined to prove the Bishop wrong, she sets about warming her house – who cares if it smells of horse! There is the crochet club, jumble sale, and soup run to organise. And this year, the church bells will ring, no matter what threats are made. Even more so, the newly formed choir will spread a little joy this Christmas, even though they can’t sing – yet! And with a little help from Phil, her bassist, this year could be full of magic.

However, she has a fight on her hands as the townies out in Knob Hill – she must stop calling it that, are trying to stop her from ringing her bells. When Krystal with a K decides to do some volunteer work, Dolores sets out to see just how committed she really is.

Up to her ears in granny squares and squawking choristers, Dolores is revving up for Christmas, yet a deeper darker secret is beginning to emerge!

A secret that could blow the whole parish apart and put Dolores in danger.

(available from Amazon)

The Portuguese Institute of Atmosphere and Sea (IPMA) predicts that until midnight on Sunday, Depression Jana will affect Madeira with wind, rain, and rough seas. This is in addition to the expected cold front the storm is pushing through.

In the statement, the IPMA predicts that Madeira will continue to experience stormy conditions until tomorrow night. Rain is expected to turn into snow at altitudes above 1500 m.

The wind will blow from the northwest, moderate to strong, with gusts up to 85 km/h, and may reach 110 km/h in the highlands. This should decrease tomorrow, although sea agitation is expected to increase with waves on the north coast reaching 11 metres in height. Although the south coast is less affected, waves have been calculated to reach an estimated 4 to 5 metres.

As such, the IPMA has issued a yellow weather warning for wind and rain and an orange alert for sea agitation.

Already, temperatures have hit record lows, with the Pico do Areeiro weather station recording -2.0ºC at 04:00 this morning, and the Funchal observatory registering 12.7ºC at 04:50.

Samantha Gannon

info at madeira-weekly.com

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