Rains in Africa

This is actually the dry season in Sierra Leone. The rainy (monsoon) season begins in May, and I’m usually here in the summer months during the rainy season. Farmers use this time of year to burn their fields in preparation for planting. We actually passed one on the road from Freetown to Bo:

It was a little frightening, but we could see the thunderstorm approaching and we passed by it quickly. The ensuing rain was so strong that it broke a tree limb that fell on the cable that connects the MTC to BKPS (Bo Kenema Power Station). Rain is very dramatic here – it rains very hard for a very short period of time. It rained again yesterday just before dinner. Craig put on his bathing suit and went and stood under the rain gutter where the water was pouring down like a shower. It only took a few minutes to get the rest of us out in it in our clothes:

The entire MTC staff came peeking around the corners to see the pumoy standing around in the rain.