The morning after the storm

We are in January and as far as the climate of Southwestern part of Nigeria is concerned, we are not supposed to get any major rain until around March. In other words, we are in the middle of the dry season which usually lasts 3 to 4 months, between November and February. Sometimes, one or two light rains happen during the dry season and that's about it.

Not this year though.

The day before yesterday, there was a light rain that felt perfectly normal. Yesterday was a different case entirely. The heavy rain was typical of the ones that usually occur during peak rainy season. Not just that, it was accompanied by a bit of storm, just to put it lightly. All that was on my mind as I was watching the rainstorm from the window is my small plantain garden.

There are still about plants that are in fruits. In fact, I have been watering them artificially so that the plantain fingers will come out a bit better. Plantain fingers usually come out stunted due to inadequate water in the dry season. I stopped watching the rainstorm after a while when it appeared like the stems of the fruiting plants will weather the storm.

The water I have been feeding them seems to have make their stems strong enough to build resilience against the wind. Otherwise, with the little I witnessed, the stems ought to have bend over. It was getting rather late and the storm was getting stronger. So called it a day and hoped for the best.

Unfortunately, I woke up this morning to find the plantain stems bent over. The worst had happened and this does not bode well for the yet to mature fruits.

^{The damaged plantains that are in fruits.}

From experience, some resources will still be able to find their way to the fruits, meaning that the leaves would still be able to carry out the normal process of photosynthesis, albeit limited. The bent stem means that getting water and nutrient across from the root to the leaves will be more difficult and this is the reason photosynthesis will be limited.

Nevertheless, the plan is to leave the plantains the way they are and see how far the plantain fingers can go. My wife suggested raising the bent stems using supports but this may damage the stem and further reduce the chances of resource transport to the leaves, and the fruits.

A little stroll at the backyard to examine the rest of the garden and I saw that some plantains that are not even in fruits also got their stems broken by the storm. I am less concerned about those that are yet to start fruiting because it is sure that they will regenerate fully once the rainy season starts properly.

A glance around the neighbourhood and I saw that bananas that are usually stronger that plantains are also affected by the storm. I was greeted with a sight of banana plants with damaged stem.

^{Banana plants in the neighbourhood also drastically affected}

Is the rainy season back? I strongly doubt. We don't expect the rainy season to be back until March. This one may be an aberration or an offshoot of erratic climate. The next few weeks will provide more details though. Nevertheless, this particular rain may be a bit damaging, but it's welcoming. The dusty atmosphere and environment have been washed down by water. The water table level may not rise yet, but will not fall further (getting water from the well has become difficult for some weeks now). Also, this particular rain may favour the flowering of some trees and the germination of crops like yam.

^{This used to be a very dusty road. The rain has washed it down.}