Rain is not a topic that’s top of my mind. Except, when there’s too much or too little of it. There’s been a lot of rain in KL over the last few months. Like clockwork. This almost daily occurrence made me think about rain.

Do I like rain? I do. Late in the night or in the afternoons on a weekend. I find it eerily nice to look out the window or stand on the balcony as the black clouds form, stretch and take-over the sky. Ominous. Imminent. Whoosh. Big showers. Sometimes, accompanied by howling, strong winds that make the windows of my condominium tremble. Sometimes, big blobs of rain water noisily pelt down the sides of the building. Sometimes, zig-zagging lightning bolts and frighteningly loud thunder, take centerstage. Almost like a light and sound show. But, most times, it’s short and quick. Whoosh. Whoosh. Done.

This is how it rains in KL. Like a tap turned on full power And, over just as quickly. The trick is to wait it out, if possible. Umbrellas, particularly my baby one, can’t stand up or stay open to the onslaught. Apparently, extreme rainfall has increased by 35% in KL over the past 30 years, which can be traced back to both urbanisation and climate change[1]. There is also the ‘renyai-renyai’ variety or persistent drizzly rain. It starts, stops, and gnaws on. It’s like the sky is sad. It cries. Recovers. Feels sad again. A few more tears. Feels a little better. Then cries again. More trickles. Thankfully, this is rare.

Its also interesting to look out for birds just before a storm. Mainly, flocks of swallows. They seem to sense the impending rain, and fly helter-skelter (at least that’s how it appears to me) presumably, to their nests and shelters. As an aside, I’ve always wondered how birds, especially, and other animals keep dry in the rain. Well… Birds have oily feathers so they can repel the rain up to a point and maintain flight. Small birds can’t cope in heavy rain. Their wings get saturated with rain which makes them too heavy to properly operate, and they risk getting hypothermia[2].

A walk after a heavy downpour can be quite refreshing as rain makes most things look cleaner and greener. The air is a little cooler. The temperature a few notches below the daily average of 30°C. The air-conditioners in cars, homes and businesses can be switched off for a while longer. The energy consumption and emissions into the atmosphere can be a tad lower.

There are many upsides to receiving just the right amount of rain. A constant supply of water to drink, cook, clean and shower. No water shortage or disruption that will require queueing and/or collecting water in pails. Although, in the Klang Valley, supply disruptions are more likely to be caused by indiscriminate dumping of rubbish and contaminants in the local rivers and waterways by irresponsible companies and individuals.

Rain also fills and refills rivers, lakes and oceans, and keeps reservoirs and dams nicely full. It provides homes for fish and other sea-life. Water to drink for land animals. Nourishes the ground for trees, plants and other vegetation. Steady rainfall helps to keep the supply and prices of produce and commodities reasonably even.

The only times I don’t like rain is when I’m in the middle of a big one. My earliest not very happy rain encounter was when my mum and I got off a bus after visiting sister number 4 in the hospital (she had had an appendix operation). My mum was juggling an umbrella and a brown paper bag stuffed with eggs and things, whilst holding on to my hand. I remember the sodden paper bag tore wide open and the contents fell on the road. Splat.

The other was when my husband and I had our car rocked from side to side by strong winds and rain in a parking lot at the Mt Snowden National Park. We contemplated two things. First, whether to get out of the car. Second, whether to climb Mt Snowden. We did both. We were plummeted with rain all the way to the peak, and most of the way down. It was blustery and blurry at the top. Funnily, I remember my husband holding on to my jacket sleeve just in case I got blown off. There have been several soaked to the bone and scary adventures over the years. Rain water running down our backs in cold weather (cheapo raincoats), water-logged boots (faulty manufacturing), and driving on bits of roads that were still standing after huge storms.

Rain can and does scupper and dampen plans, is uncomfortable and can be dangerous. Still… I like rain.