Back in 2003 I had a conversation with someone in Finland about seasons’ colours. We talked about how in his part of the world it’s green in summer, white in winter, while in my end of the universe it’s green only in winter, brown in summer. Last year I saw the same person is Sweden, and I was reminded of our conversation, and told him that since the drought it’s now brown all year round.

Today the weather report told us to brace ourselves for fires and smoke until March. The driest year on record, coupled with the hottest average monthly temperatures for October through to December, we should expect these fires as part of our lives. The sky is a cigarette-grey. An LA smog with rays of crimson sun breaking through. Summer has a new colour this year. But it aint the sky-blue, sand-yellow, sea-green or surf-white that the world paints Australia’s summer with.

It’s the colour of grief, of desperation.

In these times we pray for rain.